At long last, the 2025 NFL playoffs have arrived in Detroit.
The Detroit Lions (15-2) host the Washington Commanders (13-5) in the NFC divisional round on Saturday night at Ford Field. The Lions are the NFC No. 1 seed and had last week off thanks to earning the first-round bye as the top team in the conference.
The Commanders have completely reversed fortunes after going 4-13 last season to earn a wild-card spot and then upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 on the road last week. They are led by likely Rookie of the Year, quarterback Jayden Daniels.
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The Lions, who own the NFL’s third-worst record in the playoffs, are 0-3 against Washington having been outscored 99-30.
The divisional round game between The Lions and Commanders kicks off at 8:10 p.m. at Ford Field. The game will be televised on Fox and can be streamed on Fubo (sign up for free trial). The Lions are 9-point favorites, per BetMGM.
Watch Lions-Commanders live on Fubo
The winner will advance to the NFC championship to play either the Philadelphia Eagles or Los Angeles Rams, who meet Sunday afternoon.
Follow along below for the latest updates from Lions-Commanders inside Ford Field.
Detroit Lions vs Washington Commanders live updates, highlights
1:46, 2Q: Commanders push lead to 31-21 on Zach Ertz TD
The Lions defense has had no answers since the first drive. The Commanders instantly reached scoring range after a 15-yard Jayden Daniels scramble and a 38-yard completion to Dyami Brown, who beat Terrion Arnold on a deep crosser. Three plays later, Daniels found Zach Ertz on a short slant at the goal line to reach 31 first-half points.
4:01, 2Q: Jameson Williams houses a 61-yard reverse to trim deficit to 24-21
Teddy Bridgewater went in at quarterback because Jared Goff took a massive hit from Frankie Luvu on the interception return and had to be evaluated for a concussion. But Bridgewater did not have to throw a pass. He handed it off to Jahmyr Gibbs three times, and on the third carry, Gibbs flipped it to Jameson Williams on a reverse. Williams used his speed to get to the edge and then waved around defenders for an electric 61-yard touchdown.
5:25, 2Q: Quan Martin returns interception for TD; Lions trail 24-14
Things are quickly going awry for the Lions. On Detroit’s second play, Jared Goff tried to fit a pass into a tight window to Tim Patrick on an in-breaker, but the pass sailed on Goff and landed right in the chest of safety Quan Martin. He took off immediately down the right sideline and had a convoy of blockers to convert the pick-six.
6:23, 2Q: Terry McLaurin takes screen 58 yards for TD; Lions trail 17-14
That lead did not last long. On the Commanders’ third offensive play, Jayden Daniels threw a screen left to McLaurin, who split a pair of tackles and stiff-armed Kerby Joseph to break free for a 59-yard touchdown.
7:44, 2Q: Sam LaPorta ridiculous TD catch gives Lions 14-10 lead
The Lions re-took the lead on a spectacular, one-handed diving catch by tight end Sam LaPorta in the back of the end zone after Jared Goff extended the play in the pocket and released the pass as he was getting hit in the legs.
The Lions started the drive by converting third-and-3 with a 34-yard completion to Amon-Ra St. Brown along the sideline on a slot fade. Then Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 12 yards and Kalif Raymond had a 15-yard pickup on a screen to set up LaPorta’s touchdown.
10:55, 2Q: Commanders take 10-7 lead on Brian Robinson TD
Washington turned the fumble into a touchdown for their first lead of the night. On the first play of the drive, Jayden Daniels hit Dyami Brown on a fade for a 42-yard gain to reach Detroit territory. Washington converted on fourth down on the next set of downs with a short completion to Zach Ertz to get inside the 5-yard line, and then they got a fresh set of downs from the 2 because of a pass interference on Kerby Joseph in the end zone. Two plays later, Robinson rumbled in for the touchdown. Washington offensive lineman Sam Cosmi got hurt on the play and was carted to the locker room.
0:55, 1Q: Dorance Armstrong strip sacks Jared Goff; Frankie Luvu recovers
The Lions moved into Commanders territory with ease again thanks to a 33-yard run from Jahmyr Gibbs. But, Detroit coughed it up on the next set of downs. Dorance Armstrong got pressure off the left side on third-and-1 from Washington’s 17 and hit Jared Goff’s arm before he could throw to force a fumble which Frankie Luvu recovered.
3:50, 1Q: Commanders hit FG; Lions lead 7-3
The Commanders moved it into Detroit territory again, but Kindle Vildor smacked the ball out of Dyami Brown’s hands on third-and-10 to force Washington to settle for a 47-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez. Terry McLaurin and Jamison Crowder both had first-down catches on the drive and Brian Robinson had a 14-yard run to reach field goal range.
7:36, 1Q: Lions take 7-0 lead on Jahmyr Gibbs TD
Detroit quickly moved on from the three-and-out and scored on a goal-line counter run from Jahmyr Gibbs, who followed a pulling Christian Mahogany for an untouched 1-yard touchdown. The Lions drove 71 yards in seven plays, starting with a 19-yard completion to Jameson Williams followed by a 15-yard run and 23-yard catch by Gibbs to reach the red zone in three plays. Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for the next 10 yards to set up the touchdown.
10:38, 1Q: Lions stuff QB sneak on 4th down
The Lions offense went nowhere and punted after three plays in a slow start.
Washington quickly moved into Lions territory with a 24-yard completion to Austin Ekeler, but soon faced a third-and-14 after a false start. Jamison Crowder picked up 13 yards to set up a fourth-and-1. The Commanders brought on backup quarterback Marcus Mariota for a quarterback sneak, but Al-Quadin Muhammad shot a gap and took him down in the backfield for a turnover on downs at the Detroit 29-yard line.
Commanders win coin toss and defer
The Commanders won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, meaning the Lions will receive the opening kickoff and take the field first on offense.
David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs both introduced as starters
The Lions had one extra player announced during their offensive starters, which was either one of Gibbs or Montgomery, who ran out back-to-back. The crowd let out a massive roar for Montgomery, who has not played in a month.
LiAngelo Ball at Ford Field
One of the hottest music artists in the world right now, rapper LiAngelo Ball, is in the building rocking Honolulu blue from head to toe. Earlier today, a Commanders reporter shared a video of him rapping in an empty Ford Field, potentially hinting at a performance of “Tweaker” at some point tonight.
Barry Sanders headlines Michigan celebrities on sideline
There are a lot of big names in the building tonight. Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders is here after arriving in a custom Ford Mustang. Calvin Johnson and actors Keegan-Michael Key and Dax Shepard are among some of the other notables on the sidelines for warmups.
Lions inactive: Bridgewater at backup QB; David Montgomery officially back
The Lions made a switch at backup quarterback. In the pregame inactive list, Hendon Hooker was listed as the emergency third quarterback, meaning Teddy Bridgewater will be the backup quarterback for the first time. As expected, David Montgomery is back in the lineup from his MCL injury.
Lions arrive to Ford Field in style
Whether it was Amon-Ra St. Brown’s racing jacket or Za’Darius Smith’s long fur coat, the Detroit Lions wore their best to show up to Ford Field in style.
Lions tailgate scene includes Dan Campbell look-alikes
We’ve been tracking the party in downtown Detroit as fans get set for the playoff game, and we found Campbell’s doppelgangers. There is also a large security presence outside Ford Field. Temperatures are around 30 degrees a few hours before kickoff in the dome.
Lions vs Commanders divisional round pregame notes
The Lions are trying to make it back to a second consecutive NFC championship game. Last year, the Lions blew a 17-point halftime lead to the San Francisco 49ers to come up just short of reaching their first Super Bowl.
The Commanders are trying to reach their first conference championship since 1991, where they beat the Lions 41-10 on their way to winning Super Bowl 26.
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The week off did wonders for the Lions, who will have running back David Montgomery returning to the lineup after he suffered a sprained MCL in Week 15. The Lions didn’t miss a beat without him because of Jahmyr Gibbs’ electric finish, averaging 121 rushing yards per game in the final three weeks. But, the Lions will have their “tone-setter” back as head coach Dan Campbell described Montgomery this week.
The Lions set a franchise record for wins and combined the league’s highest-scoring offense (33.2 points per game) with an opportunistic defense that is finally starting to get a bit healthier after having more than a dozen players on injured reserve a month ago.
The Commanders have been one of the best stories in football this season. Under new ownership, Washington reshaped the leadership by appointing Adam Peters as general manager and Dan Quinn as head coach along with finding a new franchise quarterback in Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 draft.
What channel is Lions vs Commanders?
TV channel: Fox (Ch. 2 in Detroit).
Streaming: Fubo (sign up for free trial).
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) in Detroit (find all Lions radio affiliates).
Lions vs Commanders start time
Date: Saturday, Jan. 18.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET.
Where: Ford Field, Detroit.
Lions vs Commanders prediction
Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press: Of their four potential divisional playoff matchups, this was the best for the Lions. Daniels is a star in the making and has come up clutch in big moments this year, but he’s flanked by an average offensive cast and is a rookie heading into the most hostile environment in football. The Commanders won’t be a pushover. They’re well-coached and have a formidable front seven. But I don’t see the Lions losing in front of what should be a deafening crowd at Ford Field.
Goff can’t turn the ball over like he did against Houston in November or Minnesota earlier this month. But Gibbs is a big play waiting to happen against the Commanders’ porous rush defense, and the Lions are loose and determined not to repeat last year’s playoff heartbreak. Pick: Lions 30, Commanders 17.
Lions vs Commanders divisional round betting odds
- Spread: Lions (-9).
- Over/under: 55½ points.
- Moneyline: Lions (-550), Commanders (+400).
Game lines provided by BetMGM, updated pregame Saturday.
Lions vs Commanders injury report
Lions: Right guard Kevin Zeitler is out with a hamstring injury he picked up late in the Week 18 win over Minnesota. Rookie guard Christian Mahogany will make his second career start. Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor, who hurt his calf in Week 18, is out as is rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., who has been on injured reserve.
Commanders: Backup linebacker Jordan Magee is out with a hamstring injury, while linebacker Mykal Walker (illness) and tight end Colson Yankoff (hamstring) are questionable. Linebacker Bobby Wagner (foot) missed two practices this week, but will be available Saturday.
Detroit Lions 2024 schedule
Sunday, Sept. 8: Los Angeles Rams, W 26-20 (1-0)
Sunday, Sept. 15: Tampa Bay, L 20-16 (1-1)
Sunday, Sept. 22: at Arizona, W 20-13 (2-1)
Monday, Sept. 30: Seattle, W 42-29 (3-1)
Oct. 6: Bye
Sunday, Oct. 13: at Dallas, W 47-9 (4-1)
Sunday, Oct. 20: at Minnesota, W 31-29 (5-1)
Sunday, Oct. 27: Tennessee, W 52-14 (6-1)
Sunday, Nov. 3: at Green Bay, W 24-14 (7-1)
Sunday, Nov. 10: at Houston, W 26-23 (8-1)
Sunday, Nov. 17: Jacksonville, W 52-6 (9-1)
Sunday, Nov. 24: at Indianapolis, W 24-6 (10-1)
Thursday, Nov. 28: Chicago, W 23-20 (11-1)
Thursday, Dec. 5: Green Bay, W 34-31 (12-1)
Sunday, Dec. 15: Buffalo, L 48-42 (12-2)
Sunday, Dec. 22: at Chicago, W 34-17 (13-2)
Monday, Dec. 30: at San Francisco, W 40-34 (14-2)
Sunday, Jan. 5: Minnesota, W 31-9 (15-2)
Saturday, Jan 18: Washington in the divisional round.
Sunday, Jan. 26: NFC championship game.
Sunday, Feb 9: Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
How to buy NFCG tickets for Ford Field
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at[email protected].
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