Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa warms up before Lions-Vikings game
Detroit Lions wide receiver and Michigan native Isaac TeSlaa warms up at Ford Field on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2025, ahead of the game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Fast facts: 4:25 p.m. ET; Sunday, Nov. 9; Northwest Stadium, Landover, Maryland; Fox; WXYT-FM (97.1).
Line: Lions by 8.
The coaches: Lions — Dan Campbell (49-38-1 overall, 44-31-1 with Lions); Commanders — Dan Quinn (58-53 overall, 15-11 with Commanders).
Last meeting: Jan. 18, 2025, Commanders won 45-31 in NFC divisional round.
Key matchupsDT Alim McNeill vs OL Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard had some high praise for defensive tackle Alim McNeill during his Thursday news conference.
“It’s a no-brainer that if you leave your guard one-on-one with (McNeill), he can create issues as far as the interior push,” he said.
Two games back from an ACL injury that has kept him out since December, McNeill looks like he has lost zero steps, creating enough havoc on the inside to move quarterbacks out of the pocket and into the arms of sack-masters like Aidan Hutchinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Derrick Barnes.
And while McNeill has also been an elite run-stopper in his career, that hasn’t yet borne out so far in 2025, with the Lions allowing a season-high 142 yards against the Vikings on Sunday. If the Lions’ defense wants to stop the Commanders run game, which ranks fourth in the NFL with 139.9 yards per game behind seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, McNeill could play a bigger role on defense than many expect.
QB Jared Goff vs LB Bobby Wagner
This is less of a scouting report data point and more of a Bobby Wagner appreciation writeup.
Wagner, the last remaining active member of Seattle’s legendary “Legion of Boom,” is in his 14th NFL season and still ranks third in the NFL this year in total tackles (90) while leading Washington’s defense. The 10-time Pro Bowler isn’t just a legend for what he’s already done, but for what he’s currently doing at 35 years old.
The NFL’s active leader in career tackles will be an ever-present factor for the Commanders’ defense, making it a tough matchup for Lions quarterback Jared Goff. If Goff is to find success in the passing game, he’s going to have to keep Wagner out of plays either in the flat or hugging the sidelines — or maybe just over his head, with the connections to tight end Sam LaPorta and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown down the middle of the field having worked effectively all season.
Scouting reportLions offense vs Commanders defense
In his Thursday news conference, Lions offensive coordinator John Morton focused his attention on just one aspect of his offense: pass protection.
“I can draw all these plays we want, (but) if you don’t have sound protection so the quarterback can throw the ball, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff was sacked a season-high five times against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday as a banged-up offensive line got bullied by blitzes and aggressive schemes from Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Getting back linebacker Frankie Luvu, who was second on the team with eight sacks in 2024, back from an initial suspension should only help the Commanders in their quest to make Goff uncomfortable.
With guard Christian Mahogany out for the foreseeable future, potentially giving Detroit’s interior offensive line a brand-new look on Sunday, the difference between the Lions offense being on its heels and on its toes may be interior protection. Without that protection, however, the Lions offense may fall to a one-dimensional attack as it did against the Vikings.
Lions defense vs Commanders offense
In a way, every football game comes down to line play. But this game especially will be decided at the line.
With five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil playing in his first season in Washington, the Commanders boast a top-10 offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s a big reason why Washington averages 5.1 yards per rushing attempt, third in the NFL behind only the Baltimore Ravens (5.2) and New York Jets (5.2).
But even after giving up 142 rushing yards to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Lions still have a top-10 rush defense by yards per game, aided by excellent play from linebackers Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes and Alex Anzalone. If the Lions can keep Washington’s run game in check, that allows them to comfortably rush four players and set their sights on sacking backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, filling in for injured Jayden Daniels.
Daniels looks to have avoided an extended absence and won’t be placed on injured reserve, but won’t get a chance to torment the Lions’ defense like he did in the 2024 playoffs.
Getting to Mariota might provide a more difficult challenge than many backup QBs present. Mariota gets the football out quickly, and while he has lost a step from his Oregon days, he can still escape pressure and even tuck it on designed run plays to keep defenses on their toes. He’s not Daniels, but as backup quarterbacks go, few in the NFL look as comfortable as Mariota.
Lions vs Commanders prediction, pick
In a perfect world, this would be a revenge game for the Lions after the Commanders ender their Super Bowl dreams in January. In a less-perfect but still close-to-ideal world, this would be a get-right game for the Lions searching for their offensive mojo. But neither situation really applies right now.
Because if the Lions lose this game, they could potentially go into December at 6-6 with gigantic November matchups with the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers on the horizon. That’s the sort of record that makes fans question whether they should be investing in playoff tickets, which leads to questions about what exactly happened to this Super Bowl-ready roster.
So while this isn’t a must-win game for the Lions, it feels just one step below, and Detroit will play like that’s the case. The Lions have a better roster, a better quarterback and plenty of motivation to push around a Commanders team that shocked them into an early playoff exit. Mariota and the Washington run game will keep this close, but the Lions will lead throughout and hold on for a win. The pick: Lions 28, Commanders 24.
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com