The Washington Commanders lead the Detroit Lions 31-21 at halftime in Saturday’s NFC divisional round matchup at Ford Field.
Here are four takeaways from the first half:
Jayden Daniels is ridiculous
Tell us something we don’t know. The rookie, on the road, facing arguably the NFL’s best team in front of a raucous crowd, completed 14 of 21 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Short throws, long passes, key scrambles, Daniels has done it all in the first half.
A long way to go in this game, but Daniels is never fazed. That’s a trait you can’t teach.
Turnovers
One of our four takeaways is Washington has taken the ball away from Detroit three times, all of which were massive plays. The first came when defensive end Dorance Armstrong sacked Jared Goff and linebacker Frankie Luvu recovered the fumble. The Lions were on the verge of going up 14-3, and Washington forced the turnover, and Daniels drove down the field to give the Commanders the 10-7 lead.
The second turnover came when safety Quan Martin intercepted Goff and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. On the play, Luvu hit Goff, who went to the locker room, where he was evaluated for a concussion. He later returned.
The final turnover came with under a minute remaining as rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil intercepted Goff in the end zone. That kept Washington’s lead at 10, which is massive considering the Commanders open the third quarter with the football.
Jahmyr Gibbs can’t be stopped
It makes no sense when the Lions hand the ball to David Montgomery. That’s no disrespect to Montgomery, who is an excellent player, but Gibbs is already in the conversation as the NFL’s best running back. Gibbs carried the ball nine times for 96 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He also caught three passes for 38 yards. There is really no stopping Gibbs.
Take care of the ball and keep scoring
Washington can’t turn the ball over. Just keep scoring. Sure, it sounds cliche, but it doesn’t matter what the defense does if the Commanders keep scoring. And credit should be given to the defense, forcing three turnovers in the first 30 minutes. Detroit is far too explosive of an offense for Washington not to end drives with points.