Ravens, Bills put on A+ performance, Commanders stun Bucs
USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon breaks down all the games from Wild Card Weekend.
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The powerhouse Detroit Lions look to continue motoring to Super Bowl 59, while the Washington Commanders hope their storybook season stays alive for one more week in the NFL divisional round matchup.
The Lions cruised to a 15-2 record, and while they’ve been dominant throughout the regular season, it hasn’t always been easy. With injuries to some of their top defensive stars, including pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions have had to navigate choppy waters en route to the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 seed in the conference.
Despite the injuries, the Lions have successfully completed their turnaround from rags to riches, and the Commanders are hoping to reach the highest echelon in the NFC with another win. Dan Quinn’s first year as head coach has been nearly incomprehensibly successful, and his partnership with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels even more so.
Daniels is angling to become the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year thanks to his dazzling first season in D.C. In the NFC wild card round, the neophyte passer proved that the lights might not be too bright for him: The Commanders dusted off a 23-20 win over the Buccaneers, and Daniels threw two touchdowns in the effort and made countless of plays with his arm and legs.
Now, Washington faces its most significant and most challenging test when it takes on a hungry Lions pride ready to keep scratching, clawing and biting kneecaps on its way to New Orleans.
USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Lions-Commanders divisional matchup below. All times are Eastern.
What time is Lions vs. Commanders?
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) Saturday
The Lions and Commanders are scheduled for kick off at 8 p.m. ET Saturday from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Lions vs. Commanders TV channel
Fox will be the broadcast home of the Lions vs. Commanders game on Saturday night. Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will be on the call, with Tom Rinaldi and Erin Andrews supplying reports from the field.
Lions vs. Commanders predictions, picks
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Lions vs. Commander matchup will tilt:
- Lorenzo Reyes: Lions 35, Commanders 21
- Tyler Dragon: Lions 31, Commanders 25
- Jordan Mendoza: Lions 34, Commanders 31
For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.
Don’t miss another NFL playoff game with a Fubo subscription
The Lions are favorites to defeat the Commanders, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.
- Spread: Lions (-9.5)
- Moneyline: Lions (-550); Commanders (+400)
- Over/under: 55.5
The Lions running back is active tonight against the Commanders. He was a full participant in practice this week and was officially off of the injury report.
Here’s how the NFL playoff bracket stacks up entering the divisional round:
AFC
NFC
Saturday, Jan. 18
Sunday, Jan. 19
- 3 p.m. ET: No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
- 6:30 p.m. ET: No. 2 Buffalo Bills vs. No. 3 Baltimore Ravens
The NFC championship game will kick off on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. ET.
The Lions initially put his recovery timeline at 4-6 months after surgery. Hutchinson underwent surgery the day after the Lions’ 47-9 win over the Cowboys. That timetable puts his earliest return date at Feb. 13, four days after Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.
Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the timeline but stated he would leave the door open for Hutchinson’s return in the Super Bowl if the team made it that far. Campbell has not ruled out Hutchinson returning for the Super Bowl and the Lions have not made any other statements regarding his availability.
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The Commanders last won a playoff game in 2006 before defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the 2025 NFL playoffs.
- Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
- Time: 6:30 p.m.
- TV: FOX
Following a bye week for both Super Bowl-bound teams, Super Bowl 59 will kick off on Feb. 9.
Looking to make the Lions-Commanders wild-card matchup a bit more interesting? Here are some of the best bets for the game:
The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins with six.
Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups.
NFL franchises with the most Super Bowl wins:
➤ Super Bowl winners: All-time scores, results for NFL title game
While the Lions have four NFL championships – pre-merger accolades – they have yet to win a Super Bowl. They also have yet to appear in a Super Bowl.
Daniels, the rookie passer for the Commanders, is a little bit on the older side for a rookie: He turned 24 years old on Dec. 18, on the seasoned side for rookies.
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