Well, you can’t win them all, right? Not only did the Detroit Lions lose last week, but my bold prediction came up short, as wide receiver Jameson Williams only gained 66 yards and a touchdown, coming up 34 yards short of my guess. I’m sticking with the offense once again, as they’ve been struggling and seem like the unit that’s due for a breakout game.
What also helps Detroit this week is who they play against, the Washington Commanders. Washington has caught the injury bug heavily this season, losing
players left and right. Now, they lost their starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels “indefinitely” and it’s not looking like their top wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, will play this week either, missing practice on both Wednesday and Thursday.
While the Commanders’ offense will be down multiple starters, it’s their defense that will have a tough task this week. The Lions’ offense hasn’t scored over 24 points since Week 5. With the Lions coming off a disappointing loss and the offense needing to clean things up, I think they’ll have possibly its best performance of the season.
Bold prediction of the week: Detroit scores 50+ points, gets revenge against the Commanders
Stop me if you heard this before, but did you know the Lions haven’t lost back-to-back games since October of 2022? Yes, it’s becoming a stat that is overly discussed, but it can’t be ignored. Detroit is really good at addressing its issues and making sure they are corrected for the following week. Coming off their loss to the Minnesota Vikings, it was a collective defeat, and no unit outshone another; it was clear that the offense had one of its worst games of the season.
Earlier this year, after the team came out flat against the Green Bay Packers, they exploded for 52 points at home against the Chicago Bears. The Lions have a chance to repeat those efforts against the Commanders, given their history in revenge games and how they’ve responded to losses before.
Ever since the Lions avoided losing two games in a row for the past three years, they’ve rebounded after a loss with a strong performance by the offense to get them back in the win column.
Out of the 12 games in which Detroit avoided back-to-back losses, only once did Detroit score under 20 points. In four games, 33 percent of the time, Detroit puts up 40+ points. This team avenges those losses by punishing its opponents and putting up points.
Detroit comes in as the second-highest scoring team in the NFL this season, scoring an average of 29.9 points per game. They’re facing a banged-up Commanders defense that has allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL with 2,417 and tied for the fourth-most passing touchdowns allowed with 19. This secondary for Washington is ranked with the second-worst coverage grade at 40.2 according to PFF.
Another thing that motivates the Lions is the idea of getting revenge. In “revenge” games under Lions head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions like to make a bold statement. Whether they were blown out and wanted another chance at the opponent, they got hurt by the officials, or the team ended their Super Bowl dreams, this team never forgets what was done to them before.
That kind of motivation can elevate the team’s play to be at its best and right the wrongs from the previous matchup. In the five seasons under Campbell, the Lions have avenged multiple losses, and in big ways at times. This Sunday, they could have a chance at avenging another loss that has haunted this team since January.
- 2021 – Lost to Los Angeles Rams 28-19, Lions defeated them in the 2023 NFC Wild Card, 24-23
- 2023 – Lost to Seattle Seahawks in overtime, Lions defeated them in 2024, 42-29
- 2023 – Lost to Dallas Cowboys 20-19 after a controversial missed call by an official, Lions defeated them in 2024, 47-9
- 2023 – Lost to Baltimore Ravens 38-6, Lions defeated them in 2025, 38-30
- 2023 – Lost to San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship game after blowing 24-14 lead, Lions defeated them in 2024, 40-34
- 2024 – Lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-16, Lions defeated them in 2025, 24-9
- 2024 – Lost to Washington Commanders 45-31 in NFC Divisional Round game, do the Lions get their revenge?
With the Lions’ offense needing a big game, Washington’s defense not at its full strength, and Detroit coming in wanting revenge, this seems like a great chance for them to have a monster game on offense. The last time the Lions’ offense looked dominant was against the Bears in week 2, and despite this game being on the road, the crowd doesn’t seem like it will be a factor this week. If Detroit wants to make a bold return at the forefront of the league, it’s gotta have this explosive offense look lethal again on the road.
