Austin Ekeler #30 of the Washington Commanders runs the ball against Brian Branch #32 of the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Ford Field on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Washington Commanders took on the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday and somehow came away with an upset victory. The Commanders were not expected to win that game, but when your defense has five takeaways, it’s hard for opposing teams to overcome that. You might wonder if all the talk about their poor run defense put a chip on their shoulders with the way they played Saturday night.
Jayden Daniels did his thing on Saturday, but his 299 passing yards and two touchdowns don’t happen without some help. The Commanders’ skill players did what they needed to do, especially the 182 rushing yards they put on the league’s third-best run defense.
On the defensive side of the ball, Mike Sainristil, Quan Martin, and Jeremy Chinn did everything in their power to take away the Lions’ passing game and created four turnovers in the process (including Martin’s pick-six). It doesn’t matter how good your team is; every time you turn the football over, your path to winning gets exponentially more difficult.
Next, the Commanders will head to the NFC Championship game; their opponent has yet to be decided. Let’s take a quick look at the best and worst performances from the divisional playoff game as graded by Pro Football Focus.
Top 5 offense
Jan 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (30) runs the ball during the second quarter against Detroit Lions in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
- RB Austin Ekeler (90.8)
- QB Jayden Daniels (79.9)
- WR Terry McLaurin (77.7)
- WR Jamison Crowder (73.9)
- RB Jeremy McNichols (70.1)
Bottom 5 offense
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) looks to pass the ball against the Detroit Lions in the fist half of the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
- WR Olamide Zaccheaus (46.8)
- T Trent Scott (50.7)
- QB Marcus Mariota (52.9)
- G Nick Allegretti (54.9)
- WR Luke McCaffrey (57.3)
Top 5 defense
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 05: Jonathan Allen #93 and Clelin Ferrell #99 of the Washington Commanders celebrate a sack against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at AT&T Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
- DT Jonathan Allen (80.5)
- S Quan Martin (75.0)
- CB Mike Sainristil (72.3)
- DE Dorance Armstrong (68.3)
- LB Mykal Walker (66.6)
Bottom 5 defense
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) looks for yards against Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) in the first quarter against in the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
- DE Clelin Ferrell (35.9)
- LB Frankie Luvu (37.8)
- DT Daron Payne (38.9)
- DE Javonte Jean-Baptiste (46.9)
- S Percy Butler (47.0)
Other notable grades
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) runs for a touchdown against Detroit Lions during the first half of the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
- RB Brian Robinson Jr. (67.7)
- WR Dyami Brown (65.7)
- TE Zach Ertz (64.5)
- CB Benjamin St-Juste (64.0)
- CB Marshon Lattimore (58.0)
- S Jeremy Chinn (52.8)
- LB Bobby Wagner (50.6)
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Austin Ekeler receives highest grade in Commanders’ win over Lions
