ALLEN PARK -- The Washington Commanders are missing their starting quarterback, sitting at 3-6 and trying to cling to life this season, so the divisional-round rematch has lost its luster.
But the Detroit Lions haven’t forgotten the sting of that loss, and if anyone needs it, they are using that crushing one-and-done postseason result as a little extra boost of motivation.
The teams have changed; there are players on both rosters who weren’t there or active for that game. But even Aidan Hutchinson, who missed that game while recovering from his season-ending leg injury, said it’s something the Lions are tapping into this week.
“Absolutely. I think any good team will use anything they can for motivation,” Hutchinson said. “Some guys weren’t here for that, but Dan is using it for motivation, and that’s how we’re looking at it.
“But again, this is a new year and we understand the task at hand, so we’re just going to prepare the best we can and give it everything we’ve got.”
Lions center Graham Glasgow was on the field that day, though. He didn’t seem to buy into the “revenge game” factor too much, saying the Lions and Commanders are different, and that “you have history with any team, but you can always use that for whatever you need to do.”
Jared Goff said there is some of that motivation from last year’s playoff loss. But the Lions quarterback said it’s all about avoiding a losing streak and bouncing back after an ugly outing, more than any notions of revenge.
“That’s definitely a part of it, absolutely,” Goff said. “I think more than that, we want to get off of a losing streak here and get a W. Certainly, you’re thinking about that, but I think it’s nine games ago now.
“So yeah, we’re trying to get a win this year and maybe use that as a little added motivation if we need it.”
Despite being the top seed with homefield advantage fresh off back-to-back division titles, the Lions lost 45-31 to the Commanders back in January. Detroit’s defense was already doing its best to put together the pieces and keep the ride rolling. But after losing cornerback Amik Robertson in the first quarter, everything seemed to fall apart for the makeshift defense.
Jayden Daniels put the bows on an impressive rookie season, throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns, adding 51 rushing yards in the win. Daniels will miss the playoff rematch against the Lions due to a dislocated elbow suffered in his return to action last weekend. The Commanders will turn to veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota to start against the Lions, so yeah, some of that luster, at least from a national standpoint, is gone.
“Got a lot of respect for what (Commanders coach) Dan Quinn’s done out there. Good program,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “They’ve gotten some injuries, some things that they’ve been trying to overcome here -- and really no different than us, though, coming off a loss and getting back on their feet. We’re getting back on our feet and cleaning things up and finding a way to be competitive and get the win.”
Back to what Goff said, because the Lions, more than anything, are looking to keep up in the tightly-contested NFC North and conference standings. The Lions are 5-3, stuck in the middle of the division on their quest for a three-peat, and currently hold the NFC’s seventh and final playoff spot.
Detroit hasn’t lost back-to-back regular-season games under Campbell since October 2022. They’ll need to keep that streak going this weekend with its trip to face the Commanders to keep up with the Green Bay Packers (5-2-1), Philadelphia Eagles (6-2), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2), Seattle Seahawks (6-2) and Los Angeles Rams (6-2), among others.
“We just got a special group. A special group of coaches and players,” Campbell said of keeping that streak of not losing back-to-back games alive. “They’re competitive. They want to win, and they’re able to focus on what needs to be fixed, what cost us the loss the week before, and simply keep it in that compartment.
“Don’t make more of it than it needs to be. Don’t lose confidence, and just fix it. We just go to work, and it’s always been that way. Then the lights come on and guys show up ... Our guys show up. It’s just good to win.”
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