Early thoughts on the Lions Divisional Round matchup against Commanders.

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) fights the tackle by Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum (24) / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions (15-2) will welcome a Washington Commanders (13-5) team riding high after their first playoff victory in decades.

New head coach Dan Quinn has rebuilt the culture and has a young signal-caller that earned the respect of his teammates.

After defeating the Buccaneers, 23-20, a whole new challenge awaits the upstart NFC East squad.

Detroit is now rested and will be fully prepared to win in front of their home fans at Ford Field.

Dan Campbell has his team and the entire organization pulling in the same direction. In a season that is “Super Bowl or bust,” the back-to-back NFC North division champs are as primed as ever to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl that takes place in New Orleans.

Here are some early storylines Lions OnSI is following this week.

How Lions will handle rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels?

Washington’s rookie quarterback is the favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year after an exceptional season. He completed 69 percent of his passes in the regular season and threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdown passes.

Daniels also is a dangerous rushing threat, as he rushed for 891 yards and six touchdowns. The Lions have struggled against mobile quarterbacks at points this season, as Buffalo’s Josh Allen gave them fits.

The Lions are 2-1 this season against mobile quarterbacks. Allen handed them a loss in Week 15, but the defense was able to contain Kyler Murray in Week 3 and Anthony Richardson in Week 12. Allen rushed for 68 yards, while Richardson ran for 61 and Murray notched 45.

Though it will be the first time the Lions have faced off against Daniels, it won’t be the first time he’s seen Detroit rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold. The two players matched up against each other in the SEC for two seasons, with Arnold recording an interception for his Alabama team against Daniels and LSU.

Can Commanders stop Lions rushing attack?

The Lions’ offense has been one of the league’s best this season, and the run game has been a huge part of that success. Detroit’s offense stands to get a boost this week as well, as David Montgomery is expected to return for Saturday’s game.

Jahmyr Gibbs earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors in Montgomery’s absence and will still get plenty of touches. Against the 30th-ranked Commanders rushing defense, both Gibbs and Montgomery could stand to have big days.

Will Aaron Glenn blitz at a high rate still?

With all the injuries to Detroit’s defense, the game plan for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has involved plenty of blitzing. Against the Vikings in Week 18, the defense utilized a number of different blitz packages to get after Sam Darnold.

Daniels has had plenty of success against the blitz, posting an ESPN QBR of 90.3 which ranked third in the league. If the Lions are not disciplined in their rush lanes, then they will also risk giving up long scrambles as Daniels can evade defenders.

The rookie passer has proven his abilities to handle blitzes, so whether or not Aaron Glenn continues to do so could be a deciding factor in Saturday’s game.

Lions injuries to monitor

The Lions, like most weeks, have some injuries to monitor heading into the Divisional Round. Both cornerback Terrion Arnold and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler suffered injuries in Week 18, and the bye week gave them an extra week to recover.

Arnold has been reported as day-to-day with a foot injury, while Zeitler was given an optimistic prognosis by Campbell last week. Things didn’t sound as good for defensive lineman Pat O’Connor.

We should learn more about the availability of all these players on Monday, as Dan Campbell is scheduled to speak with the media.

Lots of familiarity between Lions and Commanders this week. Commanders have former Lions QB David Blough and OC Anthony Lynn on staff.

The Lions have former Washington QB Mark Brunell, LB Shaun Dion Hamilton and WR Antwaan Randle El on staff. @DetroitPodcast

— Christian Booher (@CBooher_) January 13, 2025

Commanders have familiar faces on their staff

Part of the reason the Commanders had success this season is the staff Quinn assembled.

Offensive coordinator Kilff Kingsbury is a respected play-caller and will again see his name surface for available head coaching jobs.

Former Lions quarterback David Blough, who reportedly aided in the game-winning touchdown call against the Eagles, is currently serving as the Commanders assistant quarterbacks coach.

Former Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn was eventually demoted by Campbell before being let go.

Lance Newmark is now in his first season as assistant general manager of the Commanders.

Newmark joined the Commanders with nearly three decades of NFL experience, including 26 seasons with the Detroit Lions. In Detroit, he most recently served as the senior director of player personnel.