NFL Makes Announcement on Detroit Lions’ First Playoff Opponent

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The Detroit Lions now know who they'll play in their first playoff game of the season.

Many NFL analysts and experts thought the Detroit Lions‘ first playoff opponent would come down to the winner of the Minnesota Vikings against Los Angeles Rams game on Monday, January 13, but that didn’t happen. The Lions already know who they’ll take on this upcoming weekend, thanks to a playoff upset.

The Lions are going up against the lowest-seeding winner in the NFC Wild Card round, so heading into Sunday’s game, that offered four options for opponents: the Rams (No. 4 seed), Vikings (No. 5 seed), Washington Commanders (No. 6 seed) or Green Bay Packers (No. 7 seed).

Upset Game Determines Lions’ Playoff Matchup

The Washington Commanders were largely predicted to fall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, since the Bucs were seeded higher than them. However, that didn’t happen. The Commanders upset the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, and since the Commanders were the lowest seed remaining after the Packers lost to the Eagles, that makes them the Lions’ opponent in their first playoff game on Saturday, January 18, at 8 p.m. Eastern time at Ford Field. If the Buccaneers had won, they would have hit to road next weekend to play the Eagles.

The Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have played each other 47 times, the Football Database states, including 3 postseason games, and the Lions have won 16 of those games, while the Commanders have won 31.

The upcoming playoff game should be an interesting one, since these two teams haven’t been matched against each other since 2022. In September of that year, the Lions beat the Commanders with a final score of 36-27. Of course, that was before Dan Quinn took over as head coach of the Commanders.

Lions’ Defense Needs to Shine Against the Commanders

Even though the Lions are playing a lower-seeded opponent than expected, that doesn’t mean they can take it easy, and they know it. Quinn has this Washington team playing well, especially late in the season.

The Lions’ defense was on point during last Sunday’s matchup against the Vikings. Following the game, Lions quarterback Jared Goff had glowing words for the defense.

“I can’t say enough good things about what they did today,” Goff said. “I mean, it’s unbelievable. Again, everyone keeps writing out how injured they are and depleted and they don’t care, it’s next man up. Played their absolute tails off today, and that’s a good offense they just played and no touchdowns, right?”

He added that the defense “bailed me out a couple times,” referring to his turnovers, and “bailed us out offensively a couple times and team win. We appreciate it.”

Lions head coach Dan Campbell also sang the defense’s praises after the Vikings game.

“I think with where we’re at. Look, there’s no secret. Like, we have to be able to play a certain way, and the recipe is right as long as our guys play lights out,” he said. “They do exactly what they’re asked to do, they work as one unit and they go after the football. And if we do those things we can be effective and they did that today, man.”

Campbell added that the defense “played with high, high energy” and did “what the coaches asked them to do.”