The Detroit Lions’ historic season has come to a heartbreaking end.
The top-seeded Lions were upset by the No. 6 seed Washington Commanders, 45-31, Saturday night at Ford Field in the Divisional Round of the playoffs as their season ends in disappointment after a record-setting 15-win regular season and their second straight NFC North title.
“They earned that win and we didn’t,” an emotional Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “We just didn’t play good enough. Really, we never complemented each other. I felt that way going into halftime and it really never got better.”
The Lions’ defense knew they had a tough task coming in trying to limit Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who will likely be the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and the Lions had few answers defensively for Daniels and the Commanders’ fifth-ranked scoring offense all evening.
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Daniels led three first-half touchdown drives as Washington racked up over 300 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes and led 31-21 at halftime. The Commanders also got a 40-yard pick-six by safety Quan Martin on a ball overthrown by quarterback Jared Goff intended for wide receiver Tim Patrick in the second quarter that helped push the halftime lead to double digits.
The Lions gained 521 yards of offense but ultimately couldn’t overcome five turnovers with three Goff interceptions, one Goff fumble and a Jameson Williams interception on a trick play end-around pass.
“We turn the ball over five times, the (last) one is whatever, so call it four, it’s just too much,” Campbell said. “Too hard against a team like that to come back. We tried, but couldn’t quite get over the hump.”
After Detroit trimmed the lead to 31-28 midway through the third quarter, Daniels led a 15-play, 70-yard scoring drive that took up eight and a half minutes off the clock and culminated with a 1-yard Brian Robinson Jr. touchdown to push the lead back up to 10 to begin the fourth quarter.
Washington essentially sealed the win after the Williams interception on Detroit’s next possession by turning it into a Jeremy McNichols 1-yard touchdown run and a 45-28 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Washington converted a 4th & 2 at the Detroit 13-yard line down to the 1-yard line that proved to be the dagger on the scoring drive.
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Daniels finished the game 22-for-31 passing for 299 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 122.9 passer rating. He also added 51 rushing yards.
Detroit’s injuries on defense finally seemed to catch up with them. Cornerback Amik Robertson left the game with an elbow injury on the second play of the game and didn’t return. The Lions came into the game with 13 defensive players on IR, including six starters. Washington ended the game with 481 yards of total offense and were 3-for-4 converting on fourth down.
Goff ended the game completing 23 of his 40 pass attempts for 313 yards with one touchdown. His three interceptions and one fumble were costly turnovers for the Lions as he finished with just a 59.7 passer rating. Goff fumbled at the Washington 25-yard line that killed a scoring chance. He had the pick-six and also threw an interception in the Washington end zone late in the first half and one at the Washington 2-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
“It sucks. Worst part of this job,” Goff said after the game. “You hate when you feel like you let guys down. It’s hard to put into words. It just sucks.
“I wish I could have played a little bit better. Wish I could have taken care of the ball a little better. The pick six is really the one I’d like back. That was just a poor decision by me. It’s on me. I have to take care of it better.”
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Detroit got touchdowns on a 1-yard run by Jahmyr Gibbs, a 2-yard catch by tight end Sam LaPorta, a 61-yard run by Williams and an 8-yard Gibbs run.
Gibbs finished the game with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns with six receptions for 70 yards. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had eight receptions for 137 yards.
A new University of Washington study detected a parasitic tapeworm that can infect domestic dogs and humans in the intestines of one-third of coyotes surveyed in Washington. In this provided photo, a coyote (not part of the study) is pictured in a Seattle park in fall 2025.
Courtesy Samantha Kreling/University of Washington
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Researchers in Washington state have found that about a third of the local coyotes studied have a species of tapeworm. These can be passed to dogs, and in rare instances humans. These parasites are also present in foxes and other canid urban wildlife. Domestic dogs can also contract them, and it can be years before the symptoms of the severe disease they cause are detected, making diagnosis and treatment difficult. In rare instances, dogs can spread the tapeworms to humans. We talk with Yasmine Hentati, the study’s lead author who recently got her doctorate in environmental and forest science from the University of Washington. She shares more about these parasites and the relative risks for people and dogs.
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Cold Spring Harbor played Port Washington in a Nassau boys lacrosse game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Andrew Ioannou of Cold Spring Harbor shoots against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
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Daniel Touhy of Cold Spring Harbor changes direction while looking to evade the Port Washington defense during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Max Eynon of Port Washington makes a save against Cold Spring Harbor during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Matt Kammer of Cold Spring Harbor deflects a shot for a save against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Colby Koeningsberger of Cold Spring Harbor advances the ball against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Rex O’Connor of Cold Spring Harbor controls the ball late in the 4th quarter against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
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Andrew Ioannou of Cold Spring Harbor runs past Jimmy Gannon of Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Dylan Reilly, left, and Rex O’Connor of Cold Spring Harbor celebrate after a goal during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Dylan Reilly of Cold Spring Harbor rips a shot on goal against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Colby Koeningsberger #2 of Cold spring harbor looks for an open teammate to pass to against Port Washington during a league 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026
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Andrew Ioannou of Cold Spring Harbor looks to dodge Jimmy Gannon of Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Rex O’Connor, left, and Jake Telesco of Cold Spring Harbor celebrate after a goal against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Credit: David Meisenholder
Dylan Reilly of Cold Spring Harbor controls the ball against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Roy Testa of Cold Spring harbor looks for an open teammate against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Roy Testa of Cold Spring Harbor advances the ball against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Jake Feinstein of Port Washington puts pressure on Rex O’Connor of Cold Spring Harbor during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Rex O’Connor of Cold Spring Harbor looks to dodge the Port Washington defense during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Harry Eynon of Port Washington comes around the crease against Cold Spring Harbor during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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Goalie Matt Kammer of Cold Spring Harbor advances the ball after a save against Port Washington during a Nassau League 1B boys lacrosse game at Port Washington on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
An aviation safety bill seeking to address lessons learned from last year’s midair collision of a jet with an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital is up for a vote Tuesday evening in the House, but key senators and the families of the 67 victims think the bill needs to be strengthened.
The House bill, called the Alert Act, has the backing of key industry groups. The National Transportation Safety Board said recently that the legislation, since amended, now addresses its recommendation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems that let pilots know more precisely where other aircraft are flying around them.
The NTSB has been recommending the new technology systems since 2008, and Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has said such a system would have prevented the collision of the American Airlines jet and Army Black Hawk helicopter that sent both aircraft plunging into the icy Potomac River.
Two key House committees unanimously advanced the bill last month. The bill is now being brought up for a full House vote under rules that won’t allow any amendments. But victims’ families said they want to make sure the bill has strict timelines to guarantee the reforms will be completed. And they worry the House bill would allow military flights to continue flying without broadcasting their locations on routine training flights and not just secret missions.
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“January 29, 2025 made clear what is at stake. The 67 lives lost that day should be honored with an improved system that prevents this from happening again,” the main families group said Tuesday in a new statement. “And the flying public should not have to wait longer than necessary for those protections to be in place.”
Sponsored by Republican Sam Graves and Democrat Rick Larens, the legislation needs to secure two thirds of House support to advance to the Senate. Separate legislation called the ROTOR Act that the Senate crafted came up one vote short in the House. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell have also said the Alert Act still needs to be improved.
Earlier this year, the NTSB’s Homendy sharply criticized the original version of the bill as a “watered down” measure that wouldn’t do enough to prevent future tragedies. But the board said the revised version would now address the shortcomings their investigation identified and require the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Department and the military to take needed actions.
National Transportation Safety Board members at a hearing in late January were deeply troubled over years of ignored warnings about helicopter traffic dangers and other problems, long before the collision.
Everyone aboard the American Airlines jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, and the helicopter died when the two aircraft collided. It was the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil since 2001, and the victims included 28 members of the figure skating community.
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A helicopter route in the approach path of a Reagan National Airport runway didn’t ensure enough separation between helicopters and planes landing on the airport’s secondary runway, and the route wasn’t reviewed regularly, the board said. The poor design of that route was a key factor in the crash along with air traffic controllers relying too much on pilots seeing and avoiding other aircraft.
The bill now requires planes to have Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In systems that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. Proponents of the use of such systems said they would have alerted the pilots of an American Airlines jet sooner about the impending collision with the Black Hawk helicopter. Most planes already have the complementary ADS-B Out systems that broadcast their locations.
The NTSB cited systemic weaknesses and years of ignored warnings as the main causes of the crash, but Homendy has said that if both the plane and the Black Hawk had been equipped with ADS-B In and the systems had been turned on, the collision would have been prevented. The Army’s policy at the time of the crash mandated that its helicopters fly without that system on to conceal their locations, although the helicopter involved in this crash was on a training flight, not a sensitive mission.
