Report cards after NFC playoff win vs. Lions

The only reason we aren’t giving Washington an A+ here is because it did allow 521 yards of total offense. Sure, some of that yardage came late in the game when Detroit’s fate was already decided, but the Commanders had no answer for Jahmyr Gibbs. Lions OC Ben Johnson should’ve given Gibbs 25-30 touches. He was unstoppable. This game was the perfect example of a bend-don’t-break philosophy. But, most importantly, Washington forced five turnovers, including four interceptions — three from Jared Goff. The defensive line did a good job pressuring Goff against a stout offensive line, forcing the Pro Bowl quarterback off his spot.

Here’s the theme of our first two grades: The defense did what it had to do to win. That meant forcing turnovers. It’s not a philosophy you can live by every week, but again, you do what you have to do to win.