Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions now know their divisional-round opponent, as they prepare to return from their first-round bye on Monday.
The Lions will face the Washington Commanders (13-5) in the divisional round at 8 p.m. Saturday night at Ford Field.
Washington secured their spot with a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a wild-card thriller Sunday night, with the game-winning kick bouncing off the upright before going through as time expired.
Of the four possible wild-card opponents, Washington is the least familiar to the Lions. Detroit swept the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings this season and also defeated the Los Angeles Rams in both this year’s opener and last year’s wild card.
The Lions and Commanders haven’t played since 2022, and both teams have undergone significant changes since then.
Drawing on his experience with the 2018 Saints, Campbell emphasized not over-preparing for unknown opponents during the bye week. He gave the team the weekend off, intending to begin full preparation on Monday after Sunday’s results were finalized.
“We’ll know by Sunday night and go full force with the game plan,” Campbell said. “We’ve played all of these teams except Washington this year, so we’ll focus on breaking them down.”
The Commanders won Sunday’s back-and-forth game with strong fourth-down conversions, going 3-for-5, including a critical touchdown in the fourth quarter. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the game-winning drive, with kicker Zane Gonzalez clinching the victory in the final minute. Daniels impressed with his composure, breaking tackles and making clutch throws to manage the clock.
Earlier Sunday, the Green Bay Packers lost 22-10 to the Philadelphia Eagles, who, as the No. 2 seed, will host a divisional-round game next weekend.
In the AFC, the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens advanced from wild-card weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Texans, while the Bills and Ravens will meet in Buffalo in a showdown of MVP contenders.
