The Detroit Lions will host the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round, a highly anticipated matchup that will take place on Prime Time Saturday. This is a scenario the Lions are accustomed to, and according to head coach Dan Campbell, they’re comfortable with that spotlight.
Campbell emphasized that playing on Prime Time against the Commanders shouldn’t be seen as anything out of the ordinary, as the Lions are well-prepared for that kind of pressure. “We handle the perception of pressure well: the lights, all of it. And really, we handle 1 o’clock games too,” said Campbell, with the game being the final Saturday matchup to determine the NFC Championship contender.
According to Dan Campbell, games like this are something the team enjoys. “We’ve been good about that, I think we enjoy it. We embrace this, we love the atmosphere, we love everything about this.” The head coach stressed that the key for his team is sticking to the game plan to avoid any collapses.
It’s worth noting that before this Divisional Round matchup against the Commanders, the Lions played their final NFL regular-season game at Ford Field against the Vikings, which was also a Prime Time affair. They won that game 31-9 in dominant fashion. Additionally, in Week 17, the Lions played a Prime Time game against the 49ers, coming out victorious 40-34.
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 29: Zach Ertz #86, Jayden Daniels #5, and Olamide Zaccheaus #14 of the Washington Commanders celebrate after Ertz scored a touchdown in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Northwest Stadium on December 29, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Lions vs Commanders: Head-to-Head
The Commanders lead the all-time head-to-head series against the Lions, 31-16-0. While this is a strong statistic, things have shifted in recent years with Detroit becoming a much stronger team under Campbell. Washington hasn’t won a game against the Lions since 2019. The Lions’ most recent win over the Commanders came in 2022 at Ford Field.
see also
Top 15 NFL quarterbacks with the most Super Bowl rings: The greatest legends
Commanders’ Recent Prime Time Success
During the regular season, the Commanders won a Prime Time game against the Bengals 38-33. However, they also lost a Prime Time matchup to the Eagles 26-18 in Week 11. In Week 17, the Commanders played another Prime Time game against the Falcons and won 30-24. They also had a Prime Time playoff game against the Buccaneers, which they won 23-20.
