The Detroit Lions may be limping into Week 10 after their heartbreaking 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but things could always be worse—and for the Washington Commanders, they are.
Detroit saw several players go down last Sunday, including nearly the entire offensive line spending time on the sideline or in the medical tent. However, compared to Washington’s situation, the Lions’ injury woes seem manageable.
The Commanders enter this late-afternoon matchup with one of the longest injury reports of any team this season. The biggest headline name missing is quarterback Jayden Daniels, whose second NFL season has been derailed by repeated injuries.
Daniels already sat out two early games due to a sprained knee in Week 2. After returning, he played three straight before suffering a hamstring strain that sidelined him again. When he finally made it back to the field last week against Seattle, disaster struck once more.
Midway through the fourth quarter of the Commanders’ 38–14 defeat, Daniels attempted to scramble for a touchdown but landed awkwardly as he was tackled, dislocating his non-throwing elbow. He was immediately fitted with an air cast and didn’t return. Early reports suggest Daniels will miss this week’s contest against the Lions—and potentially the rest of the season pending MRI results.
It’s a brutal setback for Washington—and one that could have been avoided. With the game already out of reach, questions are swirling about why head coach Dan Quinn left Daniels in. The situation drew comparisons to the infamous decision in 2013 that led to Robert Griffin III’s career-altering injury in a similar late-game scenario.
If Daniels can’t go, Marcus Mariota is expected to take over under center. In limited action this year—five games and three starts—Mariota has thrown for four touchdowns against four interceptions while losing two fumbles. His production has been inconsistent, but as the Lions learned against J.J. McCarthy last week, numbers don’t always tell the full story.
And the injuries don’t stop there.
Detroit’s defense won’t get its shot at revenge against the same Commanders offense that eliminated them in last season’s divisional round. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, wide receiver Terry McLaurin will also sit out due to a quad injury. McLaurin recently ended his contract dispute with a lucrative extension but has appeared in just four games this season, totaling 203 yards and a single touchdown.
The Commanders also lost Luke McCaffrey, their receiver and return man, to a broken collarbone on the opening kickoff versus Seattle. On defense, star corner Marcus Lattimore tore his ACL and is done for the season, per Rapoport.
This upcoming matchup has been circled on Detroit’s schedule for months—a chance at payback after last year’s playoff upset. But when the two teams meet Sunday, the Commanders will look nearly unrecognizable thanks to injuries and trade deadline departures.
Even with Washington’s depleted lineup, Dan Campbell and the Lions can’t afford to underestimate them. The Lions have their own injury problems and can’t afford another slip-up. Detroit must prepare as though the Commanders are at full strength—because any complacency could push them closer to falling out of the NFC playoff race.
