Most weeks this season, I’ve tried to put together some sort of game preview — digging into stats, rankings, turnover differentials, and head-to-head comparisons. But after three straight national TV blowouts against the Cowboys, Chiefs, and Seahawks, it feels pointless to compare the numbers of a 3–6 Washington team with a 5–3 Detroit squad.

It’s not that the Lions are invincible — they’ve shown flaws — but the Commanders have simply done very little right since Jayden Daniels fumbled away that fourth-quarter drive on Monday Night Football against Chicago a month ago.

The only way this game stays close is if Washington suddenly starts playing football unlike anything we’ve seen from them lately. Given the ever-growing injury list, that feels more unlikely by the week.

So instead of doing another statistical preview, I’ll just share a few reflections before what could be another long, painful afternoon for Commanders fans.

Watching the NFC Playoff Picture Slip Away

Heading into last weekend, when the Commanders were still flirting with .500, I was keeping tabs on how the NFC wild card race was shaping up.

The only Week 8 result that really hurt Washington’s playoff chances was the Packers pulling off a win in Pittsburgh. I didn’t expect much from the Monday night trip to Kansas City, but at least it looked like Washington wouldn’t lose ground since most NFC teams had stumbled in inter-conference games.

Going into Week 9, I had talked myself into believing Jayden Daniels’ return might spark something — maybe enough to snap the skid and move the team to 4–5.

So I spent Sunday watching the results come in from all the other potential wild card contenders. A bunch of them lost, which left me cautiously optimistic before kickoff. The Commanders were back home for the first time in a while, Daniels was healthy, Art Monk’s jersey was being retired — everything pointed to a team ready to rebound from a rough few weeks.

In some alternate version of reality, Washington would have beaten Seattle that night, avoided more injuries, and come into this week’s Lions matchup riding some positive momentum. That version of the Commanders might be chasing .500 and eyeing a potential winning record before the bye.

But that’s not our reality. In this one, Washington sits at 3–6, losers of four straight, and Daniels is sidelined again after a scary injury during meaningless fourth-quarter snaps of a blowout. It’s hard to picture the team’s spirits being any lower than they are right now.

The Lions Are Hungry — and Angry

Every week when I put together the Daily Slop, I make sure to read what the opponent’s fanbase and blogs are saying. This week, I checked out Pride of Detroit, expecting Lions fans to be confident at 5–3. Instead, I found frustration — and a tone that sounded oddly familiar.

Then it clicked: they just came off a deflating loss to Minnesota. The final score made it look close, but the Vikings controlled that game from the second quarter onward. The Lions never led, and the Vikings ended things with three kneel-downs. It was ugly.

Before that, Detroit had blown out Tampa Bay but got smacked by Kansas City. So in the last month, they’ve only managed one win. And looking back, their early-season four-game winning streak doesn’t look quite as impressive — those victories came against teams like the Ravens, Browns, and Bengals, all struggling with losing records.

The Lions are still good — but not the unstoppable force they appeared to be in 2024, before Washington bounced them out of the playoffs in their own stadium.

Now, Detroit comes into this week’s matchup with a chip on its shoulder — looking to erase last week’s disappointment and get revenge on the team that ended its season. With the Bears facing the Giants, the Lions know a loss could drop them to third in the NFC North, so there’s no way they’re overlooking this game.

The Commanders’ Reality

Meanwhile, Washington’s situation borders on crisis. The team has dropped four straight, the last three by three touchdowns or more, and the injuries keep piling up.

Daniels and Terry McLaurin will both miss another game, while the injured reserve list has ballooned to include Noah Brown, Austin Ekeler, Will Harris, Marshon Lattimore, Deatrich Wise, Luke McCaffrey, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste. That’s a massive talent drain for a roster that wasn’t deep to begin with after several years of disastrous drafts under Ron Rivera.

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt is moving from the booth to the sideline this week — a change he says was suggested by players — hoping to improve communication. Dan Quinn also continues to have the starters practice against one another (“good on good”) in an effort to spark sharper play.

But at this point, it’s unclear if any of that matters. If Washington wants to avoid another embarrassment, everything — from blocking and tackling to play-calling and composure — has to improve dramatically.

If not, fans should brace themselves for a long, unpleasant final stretch to the season.

Alternate Timelines and Harsh Realities

In another world, the Commanders could have been healthy and competitive — fighting for playoff positioning in early November.

But here in this reality, what’s left is pride and player evaluation. I’m reminded of when Mike Shanahan once said something similar about another Washington team sitting at 3–6 — and that team went on a miracle run to win the division in 2012.

Sadly, I don’t see that happening this time.

So as we head into the final two months of the season, I’m not looking toward a playoff chase. I’m just bracing for the cold, hard truth: winter is coming.