The Detroit Lions will be looking to defend Ford Field against the Washington Commanders on Jan. 18 at 8:00 PM, during a divisional showdown that’s highly anticipated. Let’s take a closer look at some key battles that will take place once both teams meet on the field.
On paper, the Lions have one of the weakest secondaries in the league. But is it really as bad as it seems? Detroit has the 30th-ranked passing defense in terms of yards allowed per game with 244. However, they’re also tied for the second-fewest passing touchdowns allowed, with just 18 on the season. Add the Lions opposing Quarterback percentage of 82%, which is the lowest in the league, and the secondary appears to be a more significant threat at a second glance.
Washington’s main receiving threats are wide receiver Terry McLaurin and tight end Zach Ertz. McLaurin comes into the matchup with 82 receptions for 1,096 yards. Meanwhile, Ertz has 66 rec. for 654 yards, with both players combining for 20 of Jayden Daniels’ 25 passing TDs. Lions corners Amik Robertson and Terrion Arnold will take the bulk of the reps against McLaurin. Though we may see Aaron Glenn’s utility knife, Brian Branch opposite of McLaurin depending on the scheme.
As for Ertz, linebacker Alex Anzalone will have to keep him contained. Anzalone missed some time with the Lions Week 18 face-off against the Vikings, his first game back since Week 11 after breaking his arm. Anzalone was targeted six times against the Vikings and only gave up two receptions with a passer rating allowed of 42.4.
Washington enters the game with the third-worst rushing defense in the league, giving up 137.5 yards a game on the ground. They must address this if they want to leave Ford Field victorious. It’s no secret that the Lions have an elite rushing attack led by a white-hot Jahmyr Gibbs. The probable return of David Montgomery this week leaves even more cause for concern as the two-headed monster of Sonic and Knuckles will be back in action for Detroit.
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen will be key in the Commanders effort to stem the inevitable bleeding from the Lions ground game. Allen’s long-time running mate, Daron Payne, left their previous game against the Buccaneers with a finger injury and was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday’s practice report. Thankfully, the Commanders have a solid rotation at DT with Allen, Payne, and rookie Johnny Newton.
It’s no secret that the Lions have struggled against mobile QBs for the last few seasons. This will likely have offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury chomping at the bit as the Commanders leading rusher is QB Jayden Daniels, who broke the rookie QB rushing record with 891 yards. While the Lions have had the fourth-highest pressure rate since losing Aidan Hutchinson with help from Za’Darius Smith, Daniels has looked excellent under pressure.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will have to pull out a few tricks to contain Daniels and make the rookie uncomfortable. All you have to do to see how bad the Lions are against scrambling QBs is look at the tape from their Week 15 showing against the Bills. The Lions front seven showed poor rush lane discipline and allowed Josh Allen to do as he pleased, which left the secondary helpless.
If you were to look up the definition of ballsy, you’d be greeted with a picture of Dan Campbell. He’s made a name for himself going for it on fourth and short since he took the reigns of the Detroit Lions in 2020. Just this season, the Lions went for it 33 times and converted it 22 times. This causes an issue for opposing teams as you’re forced to be just as aggressive or get left behind.
The best example was the Week Nine meeting between Detroit and Green Bay. In the first half, both teams ended up with fourth and short situations on the opponent’s side of the field. The difference? Matt LaFleur chose to settle for two field goal attempts, resulting in three points, whereas Campbell elected to go for it and scored a TD on both drives.
Washington may be able to provide a good challenge with Dan Quinn at the helm. The Commanders had 23 fourth-down attempts and converted it an incredible 20 times. Jayden Daniels is a big part of that success, as he’s as dynamic as anyone else in the league.
This should be an exciting, action-packed game between two franchises that have gone from laughing stocks to playoff contenders. Both teams know what’s at stake and will give everything they have.
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