Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

History could be on Commanders' side vs. top-seeded Lions

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Jan 18, 2025 2:10 PM ET

The Washington Commanders face an uphill battle if they're going to pull off one of the biggest upsets in the 2024-25 NFL playoffs on Saturday.

Defeating the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions (15-2) won't be easy, but history might be on the scrappy Commanders' side entering the contest.

According to CBS Sports, only four teams in NFL history have won nine or more games by six or fewer points in a single season (including the playoffs). Washington this year is among them with nine, but one thing it hasn't done yet that the other three have is make it to the Super Bowl.

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The 2003 Carolina Panthers led the group with 10 wins and participated in Super Bowl XXXVIII (ultimately a last-second loss).

The 2020 and 2022 Kansas City Chiefs also sit with nine wins but went 1-1 in their respective Super Bowl appearances.

So, it's certainly not out of the question for the six-seed Commanders to continue playing their brand of football and find themselves in the big game at the end of it all.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is playing lights-out, would become the first rookie passer to appear in a Super Bowl in NFL history.

Daniels has been a critical cog in the Commanders' offense, which has scored 20 or more points in all but two games this year. Even with a team as good as Detroit on deck next, they can't be counted out.

Washington has won six straight, with the last five ending within a six-point margin. It will need either an offensive explosion or a defensive smothering to eke out what would likely go down as one of the biggest victories in team history.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

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