The Washington Commanders suffered their fifth consecutive loss to the Detroit Lions, 44-22, at Northwest Stadium. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.
1. Trouble containing Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams.
The Lions had no trouble moving up and down the field against the Commanders’ defense, amassing 546 yards — their best performance of the season so far — and averaging eight yards per play.
The biggest challenge was the duo of former first-round picks Gibbs and Williams, who combined for more than half of the Lions’ yardage for the evening with 291 combined yards and four total touchdowns.
Gibbs’ versatility was apparent throughout the night, as he opened the game accounting for 36 yards on the Lions’ first touchdown drive, which culminated with a 14-yard receiving score from Gibbs. Gibbs had an even better series in the second quarter, touching the ball on six plays of Detroit’s nine-play 87-yard touchdown drive that ended with another Gibbs score. Gibbs’ longest play of the night — a 43-yard touchdown run — wasn’t the Lions’ final score of the night, but it did end any hope the Commanders had of mounting a comeback.
Williams was just as efficient on Sunday, catching six of his seven targets for 119 yards. Williams often found soft spots in the Commanders’ coverage and turned moderate gains into even more explosive plays with his speed. He had a 22-yard catch to start the third quarter and later turned a short dump-off throw from Jared Goff into a 41-yard gain during the Lions’ next possession.
The Commanders have often struggled to contain explosive playmakers this season, and it’s clear they still have work to do to shore up that weakness.