Photo: Junfu Han ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
DETROIT, Jan. 19, 2025 ~ The Detroit Lions turned the ball over five times and gave up 482 yards of offense in the NFC Divisional Round against the Washington Commanders in a 45-31 loss at Ford Field Saturday night.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff threw three interceptions, one that was returned to the end zone, and fumbled on third and short early in the game to give the Commanders momentum. During the attempted second-half comeback, wide receiver Jameson Williams threw the third interception of the day on a trick play to further dig Detroit in a hole they couldn’t come back from.
“It’s a tough loss,” wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown told WJR Correspondent Nick Lundberg after the game. “They obviously played well but we beat ourselves.”
Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was spectacular all game long, moving the ball downfield with long passes and making big plays on fourth down with his legs. He finished with over 250 total yards and two passing touchdowns.
The one bright spot for Detroit was running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who tallied 152 total yards and two rushing touchdowns.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
.@Lions RB @Jahmyr_Gibbs1 has now tallied four-career postseason touchdowns, the most in franchise history.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/l9KF0zanyb
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) January 19, 2025
(CONTINUED) Tight end Sam LaPorta also reached the scoring column with a diving, one-handed touchdown catch to pair with Williams’ 61 yard end-around score.
An already injury riddled defense suffered another loss on the second defensive play in cornerback Amik Robertson, who broke his elbow and was reportedly taken to the hospital. Defensive issues soon came, highlighted by a 59-yard screen pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin who beat three defenders down the sideline.
Crucial penalties also cost Detroit in critical moments. Two goal line flags, one on safety Kerby Joseph for pass interference and a 12-men on the field error on fourth down gave Washington two easy opportunities for touchdowns.
With the season officially over, the Lions will have to wait until March 10 to revamp the roster through free agency.
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