Washington Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels fired up his team with a strong 10-word message ahead of their playoff clash with the Detroit Lions.
Jayden Daniels Points to ‘God’s Timing’ Ahead of Matchup with Lions
As the underdog Commanders get set to take on the Lions, Daniels took to Instagram to post a quote pointing to “God’s timing,” hinting that it could be now. “God’s timing might be sooner than you think, be ready,” said the quote.
AWESOME: #Commanders QB Jayden Daniels message before the NFC Divisional round game via the #Lions
“God’s timing may be sooner than you think. Be ready”
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 18, 2025
Some fans reacted to this quote, displaying support for Daniels ahead of his prime-time matchup.
“This is awesome,” said one fan.
Another added, “I’m ready for it!!”
I’m ready for it!
— Strong Roots Mom 🇺🇸 (@strongrootsmom) January 18, 2025
Commanders vs. Lions Game Preview
- Location: Ford Field, Detroit
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Channel: Fox
The winner of this game will face the winner of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams game in the NFC Championship Game to earn the right to go to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
Daniels has already defied the odds by winning a road playoff game. Now, he becomes just the seventh rookie quarterback to face a No. 1 seed in the playoffs since seeding began in the 1975 season.
Five of the previous six quarterbacks in similar situations lost, and most of those games were not competitive. The only win came from Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 Divisional Round against the Tennessee Titans. However, that victory was largely driven by the defense, as the Ravens managed just nine first downs and averaged 4.1 yards per play.
Collectively, the rookie QBs in this scenario have combined for five passing touchdowns and four interceptions while averaging 194 passing yards per game. Their teams have posted an average point-per-game differential of -10.8 in these matchups.
The Lions scored 41 points against the Los Angeles Chargers last season coming off their bye. They hung 47 on the Dallas Cowboys this season and are now coming off another bye week.
Quarterback Jared Goff finished the season with a 93.2 grade in PFN’s QB+ metric, the 11th-best mark in our six years of tracking (second-best this season, trailing Lamar Jackson). Detroit’s offense gets the attention, but their defense, for the season, ranked seventh in turnover rate and red-zone efficiency.
Just how significant was Detroit’s Week 18 win over Minnesota? The victory not only secured the NFC North crown but also earned the Lions the top seed in the conference.
Patrick Mahomes is widely regarded as the best clutch-time performer in the sport — the quarterback you trust most when the game is on the line. However, when comparing Mahomes’ last 16 home games against playoff-level competition to Goff’s, the “King of Clutch” title might be up for debate.
Expect Dan Campbell and Dan Quinn to take plenty of risks on fourth downs in this game. Including playoffs, the Lions have gone for it on fourth downs at the highest rate this season (32%), while the Commanders rank seventh in fourth-down attempts (24%). Both teams have reaped the rewards of their aggressiveness. Washington leads the league in fourth-down EPA (57.9), while Detroit ranks fifth (35.2).
In the Wild Card Round, the Commanders went for it on five of their seven fourth-down opportunities. Their 71.4% go-for-it rate was the fourth-highest in a playoff game since 2000.
Per Pro Football Network’s Playoff Predictor, with 10,000 simulations, the Commanders are an underdog and given just a 35.4% chance of winning against the Lions.
