The Detroit Lions devoured just about every team that came their way this season, so much so that they were crowned kings of the Nationals.
Their reign, however, was short-lived and ended in a mess. Favorites on Saturday, the Lions were surprised by the Commanders in an offensive festival which ended with a score of 45-31 in favor of Washington.
The Lions’ defense was trampled by the Commanders’ offense, which scored five touchdowns. Jayden Daniels, who threw for 299 yards, was responsible for two of those touchdowns on passes to Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz.
Daniels became the second rookie quarterback in history, after Joe Flacco in 2008, to defeat the team that finished first in the playoffs.
“It started with our belief. As a team, we believe. We believe in ourselves, we believe in the leaders. We will fight and prepare the right way. We put in the work to get here. There is still one match left, we will see who we face tomorrow. I love this team,” Daniels told Fox Sports after the game.
“It’s a surreal moment, especially for the fans who came to support us and believed in us since Day 1.”
Brian Robinson Jr. had two majors and 77 yards rushing, while Jeremy McNichols also reached the end zone. The Commanders also took advantage of a defensive touchdown from Quan Martin to reach the National final.
They are now waiting to know who the Philadelphia Eagles or the Los Angeles Rams will be their next opponents, with a place in the Super Bowl at stake.
If there is one player who cannot be blamed for anything on the Lions, it is ball carrier Jahmyr Gibbs. The latter amassed 105 yards of gains on the ground as well as two touchdowns and he added 70 yards of gains in the air.
Jared Goff completed 23 of his 40 pass attempts for 313 yards. He threw a touchdown pass and had three interceptions.
Sam LaPorta scored a major by passing, while Jameson Williams also reached the end zone, but on an overturned play. Amon-Ra St. Brown had 137 yards of aerial gains.
The National championship will be played next Sunday afternoon.
Defenses running out of steam
-The Lions’ second offensive sequence was all about Gibbs, who was involved in four of the six plays that led to a touchdown. Gibbs caught a 23-yard pass and added three carries, which allowed him to reach the end zone and open the scoring. Halfway through the first quarter, he had already gained 48 yards.
After reducing the gap thanks to a field goal, the Commanders cooled the Lions’ enthusiasm. A quarterback sack by Dorance Armstrong forced a fumble that was recovered by Frankie Luvu to give Washington possession back.
And the Orders quickly made the Lions pay for this turnaround. Daniels brought his team closer to the end zone with a 42-yard pass to Dyami Brown, then Robinson put the Commanders in command 10-7 with a touchdown on a two-yard run.
Goff and the Lions regained their senses as soon as they returned to the attack. St. Brown first advanced Detroit 41 yards with two receptions, then the sequence ended in spectacular fashion.
After a lot of patience to avoid pressure from the Commanders, Goff attempted a desperate pass to LaPorta in the end zone. The tight end dove to his left to catch the ball with one hand and restore Detroit’s lead 14-10.
The Lions’ celebrations were, however, very short-lived. Three games, to be precise. Daniels connected with McLaurin with a pass to the side, then the receiver found a gap between two Lions players to scamper 59 yards into the end zone.
The Lions were, however, far from being at the end of their troubles. Moments later, a very bad pass from Goff ended up in the hands of Martin, who returned the ball 40 yards for a defensive touchdown that made it 24-14 in favor of the Commanders.
Solidly hit on the sequence, Goff left temporarily to the medical tent and he was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater. The Lions’ offense did not seem too disoriented by the absence of Goff as Williams was at the heart of a brilliant knockdown play that allowed him to finish his route 61 yards further, into the end zone, for reduce the gap to three points.
A short sequence of just over two minutes, however, allowed the Commanders to regain a two-possession lead, after Ertz’s major. The Lions came close to scoring another touchdown before halftime, but Mike Sainristil intercepted a pass thrown to Williams to end the threat.
This true offensive festival continued on the return to the field in the third quarter, when Gibbs reached the end zone for the second time of the game, reducing the gap to 31-28.
The rest of the match, however, was the business of the Commanders, who dominated both offensively and defensively. Robinson first gave the Commanders a 10-point lead, then Sainristil made his second interception of the game, on a pass from Williams during a trick play.
This risk from the Lions was costly as McNichols put the match out of Detroit’s reach with a major that brought the score to 45-28.
