When the Detroit Lions lost defensive end Aidan Hutchinson earlier this season, fans felt cursed. Detroit was picked as one of the favorites to play in Super Bowl LIX next month, and now, the Lions would have to do it without one of their top players.
The Lions quickly proved they’re resilient. Led by a juggernaut offense, Detroit has dealt with injuries all season and managed to remain competitive defensively. Detroit finished the regular season 15-2 and held the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.
On Saturday, Detroit hosts the Washington Commanders in an NFC divisional round playoff game. A top-five NFL offense leads both teams, but the defenses leave something to be desired. While the overall metrics for Detroit’s defense aren’t great, the Lions are an aggressive and physical group, which means they’ll cause some problems for Washington’s offensive line.
Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will blitz Jayden Daniels a lot on Saturday. Daniels has been excellent against the blitz this season, though.
So, what’s the best way to attack Detroit’s defense?
Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports recently revealed two ways the Commanders could exploit the Lions.
One, is Washington’s league-leading no-huddle attack. No team uses the no-huddle more than the Commanders.
“Tempo, which the Commanders run under Kliff Kingsbury,” Tice said on the “Football 301” podcast. “They’re first in no-huddle. So, I looked at the Lions. How are you against tempo? How are you against no-huddle? Bad is the answer. The Lions are 31st in success rate against no-huddle plays outside two minutes. I think, crank that up even more. Go full-on, Chip Kelly blur, and just go no-huddle every play. Again though, Lions have a bye week. And Aaron Glenn has shown that he’s got some stuff in his back pocket.”
This is good news for the Commanders. They wouldn’t need to deviate from what they usually do, only play faster.
Tice found another area where Washington could potentially attack Detroit’s defense.
“The other angle I found, running back targets,” Tice said. “OK, Lions, the worst defense in the NFL against running back targets. Austin Ekeler, as a receiver this year, second in yards per route run amongst 37 running backs on 200 or more routes. Maybe an Austin Ekeler game?”
Ekeler has been one of the NFL’s best receiving backs for years. He’s been a critical part of Washington’s offense in 2024, often coming up with a big play when Daniels needs him the most.
The Commanders have struggled to run the ball outside of Daniels for several weeks. So, don’t be surprised if we see Daniels carry the ball at least 10 times and Washington emphasizes the short, quick passing game to move the ball and churn the clock.
You can bet Kingsbury will have a plan. The question is can Washington’s offensive line hold up against Detroit’s physical front?