2025 NFL Divisional Round Takeaways: What’s Next for Playoff Winners and Losers? | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats and Rumors

Commanders are not experiencing the start of something special, they have already arrived

The Commanders have orchestrated an incredible turnaround in 2024, and several people deserve credit.

Head coach Dan Quinn had a franchise that was 4-13 in 2023 poised to win right away. General manager Adam Peters put together a playoff-ready roster that didn’t look at all like last year’s team. Rookie Jayden Daniels, the presumed Offensive Rookie of the Year, has played like a top-five quarterback since Week 1.

We didn’t expect Washington to be this good, this quickly, but here they are. A week after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a last-second field goal, the Commanders moved into first place in the NFC on the road.

Daniels was as calm as a quarterback could be, while Quinn’s aggressive play kept the pressure on the Lions. Washington’s defense had five takeaways on the night, while offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury consistently called up big plays.

What should worry the rest of the NFC is the fact that the Commanders could be even better next year. While several notable players, including Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus, are impending free agents, Washington is projected to have $93 million in cap space available for 2025.

Of course, the Commanders aren’t thinking about next season, and they shouldn’t be. They have the talent and confidence to advance to Super Bowl LIX.

Washington will hit the road again next week. It also has a rookie quarterback and a defense that finished the regular season ranked 13th overall and 18th in points allowed. So what?

The stage isn’t too big for Daniels, and the harsh environments have yet to shake the commanders. Although the defense is vulnerable, especially against the run, it has found a knack for forcing key stops and pulling off takeaways.

The Commanders also learned to win close games late, even if they didn’t need to Saturday. Washington entered the divisional round with five straight victories decided in the final 10 seconds of the game. He hasn’t lost a game by more than one score since Week 1.

What once seemed like a feel-good story for a long-suffering franchise is now so much more. The future is bright in Washington, but commanders have every reason to believe they can win it all now.

Lions’ ultimate ‘what if’ campaign leads to crucial offseason

The Lions won 15 games and captured first place in the NFC for the first time in franchise history. Yet injuries have arguably been the biggest topic of their season. They were particularly problematic on defense and Detroit entered the playoffs without key players like Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill and Carlton Davis.

Cornerback Amik Robertson exited early in the game with what appeared to be a very significant elbow injury.

Unsurprisingly, the Lions struggled to contain Washington’s passing attack early on. To make matters worse, three Jared Goff turnovers, including one returned by a Quan Martin touchdown, left Detroit with a 10-point halftime gap.

A fourth-down turnover, thrown by receiver Jameson Williams on a trap play, cost the Lions in the fourth quarter. Goff’s third interception ended Detroit’s comeback hopes.

Unfortunately, the injuries and mistakes were too much for the Lions to overcome. It will leave the Lions and their fans wondering what 2024 could have been like. How far could this team have gone with a healthy roster or with fewer mistakes in the most important game of the season? We will never know.

If there’s a silver lining for Detroit, it’s that the team is well-positioned to rejuvenate and even improve during the offseason. It’s clear the Lions need to improve the depth and talent of a defense that ranked 22nd in rushing yards allowed, 30th in passing yards allowed and 20th overall. Detroit has $67.9 million in the space of the projected cap with which to do it.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, which is something head coach Dan Campbell alluded to after last year’s loss in the NFC Championship Game.

“I know how difficult it is to get here. I’m well aware of that,” Campbell told reporters. “And it’s going to be twice as hard to get back to that point next year as it was this year. That’s the reality.”

Finding the right players for the Lions won’t be as simple as handing out contracts. General manager Brad Holmes needs to find players who fit the culture and complement the talent the team already has.

It’s also possible that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn leaves to fill one of the NFL’s head coaching vacancies.

The Lions can claim the title again in 2025. They didn’t win 15 games by accident. However, getting there will take some off-season work and better fortune than they experienced in 2024.