'Don't Sleep On' Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Against Lions This Weekend

The Washington Commanders are coming off a Wild Card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a mission of winning a Super Bowl just three wins away.

Of course, the Commanders themselves are focused on this weekend first and a road trip to face the NFC's No. 1 seeded Detroit Lions.

Interestingly enough, the Buccaneers are the last Wild Card team to make it to–and win– a Super Bowl, and they did it with great quarterback play and a defense nobody saw coming. If Washington is going to emulate that success, they'll need much of the same.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. — Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after winning a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher may not be picking the Commanders to upset the Lions this weekend, but he does admit that nobody should be counting them out, either.

"You see how Detroit (has) been playing as of recent," Crosby said while visiting the set of NFL Network's Good Morning Football. "You've seen what Jayden Daniels has done all year. This Washington story has been crazy how fast they've turned it around. I think it would be catastrophic for the Lions (to lose) in a few ways. There are going to be changes. I think everyone kind of knows that, but don't sleep on Jayden Daniels. That kid is so calm under pressure. ...And if you're going to man up against Washington with that type of speed and talent out there, and a quarterback like Jayden Daniels, who the Lions have struggled against, dual-threat guys, I think he can really go in there and shock the world. I'm not going to say I, that's not my prediction, but I think it could possibly happen. I wouldn't be surprised."

Detroit only lost two games in the regular season, one to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one to the Buffalo Bills.

While Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield isn't considered a dual-treat quarterback he can certainly extend plays in his own way and take off downfield when needed. In his team's win over the Lions Mayfield was sacked five times, but also found a way to complete 12 of his 19 pass attempts and rush for 34 yards and a score, the game-winning score as a matter of fact.

In a 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Josh Allen was able to avoid being sacked at all and completed 23 of 34 pass attempts for 362 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 68 yards and another two scores.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was able to victimize the Detroit defense by rushing for 36 yards and a touchdown while passing for 357 yards and another three scores.

It would seem that the Lions have an issue running their brand of blitz-heavy man-coverage defense against quarterbacks that can make plays on the move, and Daniels is just that.

If Washington does pull off the upset, it'll be the first No. 6 seed to upset a No. 1 since 2021, when the San Francisco 49ers pulled off a 13-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers before falling in the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl winners, the Los Angeles Rams.

Before that, the last time a No. 6 beat a No. 1 was in 2019 when the Tennessee Titans upset the Baltimore Ravens, and then in 2010 when it happened on both sides of the playoff bracket.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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