| Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions | |||||
| Jan 17, 2025 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Washington Commanders (13-4) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| Detroit Lions (17-0) | 14 | 21 | 3 | 14 | 52 |
BOX SCORE
Perfect Lions Roll Into NFC Championship After 52–17 Rout of Commanders
By [Reporter Name], Detroit Free Press – January 17, 2026
DETROIT — Ford Field shook like never before on Sunday evening, as the Detroit Lions marched one step closer to football immortality. Jared Goff threw a franchise-record six touchdown passes, Amon-Ra St. Brown hauled in two scores as part of a 138-yard day, and the Lions steamrolled the Washington Commanders 52–17 in the NFC Divisional Round.
The victory pushes Detroit to 18–0 on the season and sends the Lions to their first-ever NFC Championship Game at Ford Field, where they’ll host the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.
“This city’s been waiting for this moment,” head coach Dan Campbell said afterward. “We’re not done yet. But man, I’m proud of these guys.” Goff in Command
Goff turned in arguably the finest postseason game of his career, completing 26 of 33 passes for 313 yards and six touchdowns. He spread the ball around with surgical precision — Isaac TeSlaa caught two first-quarter touchdowns, St. Brown scored twice in the second, and Sam LaPorta added a pair of red-zone strikes.
“Jared was on fire,” Campbell said. “He had complete control out there. That’s what you want from your quarterback in January.” Ground and Pound
Jahmyr Gibbs added balance to the offense with 111 rushing yards on 21 carries, including a 23-yard dagger touchdown run in the fourth quarter. David Montgomery chipped in 75 yards on just six attempts, highlighted by a bruising 27-yard burst.
Detroit piled up 491 total yards, with 186 on the ground, while committing zero turnovers. Defense Stifles Washington
On the other side of the ball, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was harassed all game. He managed 201 passing yards on 41 attempts and tossed one touchdown late, but was intercepted once by Brian Branch and pressured into short throws all afternoon.
The Commanders were limited to 76 rushing yards, with top back Brian Robinson Jr. held to just 28 on 11 carries.
Jack Campbell led the Lions with 12 tackles, while Kerby Joseph and Terrion Arnold each came up with key breakups to stall Washington drives. Setting the Stage
For Detroit, it all leads to next week. The NFC Championship will be played in front of a raucous Ford Field crowd, with the Eagles — fresh off a 21–14 win over San Francisco — coming to town.
The Lions, now two wins away from perfection and their first Super Bowl in franchise history, aren’t shying away from the moment.
“This is everything we’ve worked for,” St. Brown said. “Eighteen wins mean nothing if we don’t finish it. We want the whole thing.”
Kickoff for the NFC Championship is set for next Sunday evening in Detroit.
Dan Campbell Locker Room Speech – Postgame vs. Commanders
Campbell storms into the locker room, eyes wide, voice booming over the cheers and helmet smacks.
“FELLAS! … FELLAS!! … LISTEN UP!
That right there … THAT was Lions football! That was four quarters of controlled violence, of execution, of HEART. You left no doubt. From the first snap to the last whistle, YOU imposed your will. And guess what? You just punched this franchise into its FIRST EVER NFC Championship Game … right here in Detroit!
Now let me tell you something — I don’t care if it was offense, defense, special teams … every damn one of you had a hand in this. We swarmed to the ball. We made plays in the passing game, in the run game. We took their will early and never gave it back. That’s how you WIN IN JANUARY, boys!
But now, let’s talk game balls. Because there were some dudes today who absolutely lit it up.
First one — how about No. 16, JARED GOFF! (locker erupts)
Six touchdown passes, controlled this thing from the jump, spreading it around, steady hand all day. That’s a captain right there!
Second game ball — our young stud in the backfield, JAHMYR GIBBS! (cheers, teammates slap him on the back)
Twenty-one carries, 111 yards, dagger touchdown to seal it. They had no answer for you, man. That’s big-time playoff football!
And third — our sun god himself … AMON-RA ST. BROWN! (loud roar from the room)
Ten catches, 138 yards, TWO touchdowns. Every time we needed a chain-mover, every time we needed a spark — you delivered. That’s why you’re one of the best in this league.
Now hear me loud and clear — enjoy this tonight, you earned it. But tomorrow? Tomorrow it’s back to work. Because we got the Philadelphia Eagles coming in here next week. And they’re coming for what YOU got! They’re coming for YOUR dream.
But I’ll tell you this … nobody walks into Ford Field and takes what belongs to us. Not now. Not this team. Not this city.
You stay hungry, you stay humble, you stay violent … and in one week, we play for the right to go to the Super Bowl!
BREAK IT DOWN!”
Team huddles, roaring as Campbell throws his fist in the air. The room shakes with a “1-2-3 … GRIT!”
DIVISIONAL ROUND SCORES
2025 LIONS SCHEDULE
NFL STANDINGS
LIONS STATISTICS
Dan Campbell – Postgame Press Conference
Ford Field, Jan. 17, 2026
Opening Statement:
“Man, that’s a hell of a win. Our guys came out, played with grit, played with fire, and left no doubt. That’s what playoff football is supposed to look like. I’m proud as hell of this team, but I’ll tell you right now — we’re not satisfied. We’ve got bigger things in front of us.”
Reporter 1: Coach, Jared Goff threw six touchdown passes today. How would you describe his performance?
Campbell: “He was in total command. That’s as locked-in as I’ve ever seen him. He was distributing, making quick decisions, and when we needed a dagger, he delivered. That’s playoff quarterbacking right there. He’s the heartbeat of our offense, and the guys feed off his confidence.”
Reporter 2: Amon-Ra St. Brown had another huge game — 10 catches, 138 yards, 2 touchdowns. What makes him so reliable in these moments?
Campbell: “Look, the guy is a machine. He’s relentless. He practices like he plays, and when the lights are brightest, he wants the ball. He’s not the biggest, not the fastest, but he’s got more fight in him than anyone. He sets the tone for our receivers, and Jared knows he can count on him every time.”
Reporter 3: Jahmyr Gibbs balanced things out with over 100 rushing yards and a touchdown. How important was the run game today?
Campbell: “It was huge. We wanted to keep them off balance. You can’t just drop back 40 times and expect to win in January. Gibbs gave us explosive plays, Monty gave us toughness downhill, and together they controlled the pace. That’s how you finish teams off in the playoffs — body blows with the run, then the knockout through the air.”
Reporter 4: Your defense forced three turnovers and held Washington scoreless in the first half. What did you see from that unit?
Campbell: “They were flying around, man. Physical at the line of scrimmage, tight in coverage, and when the ball was in the air, we made plays. Branch comes down with a pick, Hutch, Jack Campbell, those guys were relentless. The message all week was ‘make them earn every yard,’ and I think we broke their will early.”
Reporter 5: You’ll host the Eagles next week in the NFC Championship. How do you prepare for that challenge?
Campbell: “Look, the Eagles are tough as hell. They’re built for this time of year — physical O-line, quarterback who can hurt you with his legs, playmakers everywhere. It’s going to be a war. But I’ll tell you this — our guys will be ready. This city will be ready. Ford Field is going to be rocking, and we’re going to give Philly everything we’ve got.”
Reporter 6: Coach, 18–0 now. People are starting to talk about perfection. Do you let the guys think about it?
Campbell: “No. We don’t talk about that. You start thinking about perfection, you lose sight of the job. The job is to win one game at a time. That’s all we care about — find a way to be 1–0 each week. If we do that, we’ll see where we end up.”
Reporter 7: What was your message to the team after the game in the locker room?
Campbell: “Enjoy this tonight, you earned it. But tomorrow, it’s back to work. Because we’ve got two more mountains to climb. And this group? They’re hungry for it. That’s what makes this special.”
Campbell smirks, pounds the table with his fist, and stands up.
“Alright, that’s it. See you next week.”