As the great Bill Belichick once said, and Tom Brady echoed from Fox’s broadcast booth Saturday night, “You can’t win until you keep from losing.”
In their NFC divisional round matchup against the Commanders, when it mattered most, Dan Campbell’s Lions beat themselves in a 45-31 loss that ended their season.
The self-inflicted wounds came in the form of turnovers — five in total, including two Jared Goff interceptions in the first half — and, perhaps even more painfully, unforced penalties, the worst of which came at one of the game’s most pivotal junctures.
With Washington up by three points and staring down a fourth-and-2 just five yards out from Detroit’s end zone at the outset of the fourth quarter, the Lions sent 12 defenders onto the field.
Coaches and players alike were screaming and motioning from the sideline, trying to get one of the defenders’ attention.
But in Ford Field, where 70,000 rabid fans were screaming at the top of their lungs, doing all they could to will their long-woebegone Lions toward the all-elusive first-ever Super Bowl championship, none of those 12 defenders caught the message.
Yellow flags flew in.
The too many men penalty pushed the Commanders halfway to the goal line, but even more critically, granted a fresh set of downs.
And, two plays later, running back Brian Robinson Jr. punched the pigskin past the goal line for the score — pushing Washington’s lead to 10.
Things went from bad to worse on the Lions’ ensuing drive when receiver Jameson Williams caught a pitch behind the line of scrimmage and then uncorked a wild pᴀss of his own.
Williams’ double reverse was less a pᴀss than a hope and a prayer, thrown toward the sideline where one Lions receiver was surrounded by three Commanders defenders.
First-year cornerback Mike Sainristil came down with the ball, and Jayden Daniels and company took over at their own 34-yard line.
The Commanders rookie quarterback led an exacting eight play, 66-yard drive down field to extend the lead to 17 points.
That spread would hold as Washington went on to claim an upset victory.
The Commanders will face the winner of Sunday’s matchup between the Rams and the Eagles with a trip to the Big Kahuna on the line.
