A franchise-record 15 regular season wins was washed down 8-mile road for the Detroit Lions. 

In a disastrous 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders on Saturday, the Lions watched their best regular season in franchise history go to waste. 

Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns in a near flawless performance, as Washington reached the NFC championship game for the first time since winning the Super Bowl 33 years ago.

“It’s a surreal moment,” Daniels said.

The sixth-seeded Commanders (14-5) were nearly double-digit underdogs against the Super Bowl favorite Lions (15-3) and overcame doubts as they did all season with a rookie quarterback, new coach and general manager.

“I always believed that we could achieve more than people give us credit for,” Daniels said.

Detroit, the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time, doomed its chances by turning it over five times.

“If you turn the ball over five times against that team, it is going to be hard to win,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said.

Washington rookie Mike Sainristil had two interceptions, including one on a trick play with receiver Jameson Williams throwing into coverage off a reverse in the fourth quarter. And Quan Martin returned a pick 40 yards for a touchdown.

Jared Goff threw three picks and lost a fumble, turning it over three times in the ill-fated first half.

Daniels finished with 299 yards passing and 51 yards rushing, and — just as important — didn’t turn the ball over.

He became the second rookie quarterback to knock off a top-seeded team, joining Joe Flacco, who led Baltimore past Tennessee on Jan. 10, 2009.

“Nothing surprises me with him,” said receiver Terry McLaurin, who turned a short pass from Daniels into a 58-yard touchdown.

First-year coach Dan Quinn led Washington to its first playoff win in 19 years last week. The Commanders rallied past Tampa Bay for their sixth comeback win and fifth straight on the final play from scrimmage in regulation or overtime.

The Commanders, who converted 3 of 4 fourth downs, didn’t let Detroit keep it that close.

“Give them credit,” Campbell said. “They earned that game, and we didn’t.”

Washington outscored Detroit 28-14 in the second quarter — the highest-scoring quarter in NFL playoff history — to take a 31-21 lead at halftime.

Daniels had 242 yards passing in the first half, setting a rookie record one week after becoming the first rookie to lead his team in yards rushing and passing in a playoff win.

The former LSU star, who was the No. 2 pick overall, was 22 of 31, including the long TD on the screen to McLaurin and a 5-yard throw for a score to Zach Ertz in the second quarter.

Brian Robinson ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

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Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders is tackled by Jack Campbell #46 of the Detroit Lions during the third quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Ford Field on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Goff finished 23 of 40 for 313 yards with a touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta that gave the Lions their last lead midway through the second quarter.

Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns while Amon-Ra St. Brown had eight receptions for 137 yards.

Goff fumbled in a collapsing pocket on third-and-1 from the Commanders 17 late in the first quarter and Washington took advantage.

Daniels converted a fourth-and-3 from the Detroit 9 to extend a drive capped by Robinson’s 2-yard touchdown run.

Three snaps after Daniels’ TD throw to McLaurin, Goff overthrew his intended target and Martin intercepted it and took it to the end zone, putting the Commanders ahead 24-14. Goff took a hit from linebacker Frankie Luvu on the interception return and was evaluated for a concussion.

With backup Teddy Bridgewater under center, Williams scored on a 61-yard reverse.

Detroit’s defense, though, could not stop the Commanders all night. Washington set a season high in points.

The Lions had a chance to cut into the deficit in the final minute of the first half, but Goff’s pass over the deep middle was picked off by Sainristil in the end zone.

Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders runs the ball against Za’Darius Smith #99 of the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Ford Field on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.  (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The Lions lost season will now find a place in the franchise’s chronicled history of disappointment. 

The Lions organization is often considered one of the least successful in the NFL, being just one of four franchises that has never reached the Super Bowl. 

The Lions are also one of two franchises that had an 0-16 season, becoming the first team to do it in 2008. The Cleveland Browns became the only other team to do it, joining the club nine years later in 2017. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14 in their first season in the NFL in 1976, before the league expanded to 16 games.

Prior to last season, Detroit had gone 32 years without even winning a playoff game. It snapped that streak last postseason with wins against the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the Lions’ run halted after blowing a 24-7 third-quarter lead to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. 

The Lions never had such a lead against Washington on Saturday, but the stunning loss sent many Detroit fans home in a bitter mood, all the same.  

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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After not playing for 13 days because the Palisades fire closed its campus and disrupted dozens of school families, Brentwood’s girls’ basketball team returned to the court Saturday and adopted the words of legendary Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks: “Let’s play two.”

The Eagles played a morning game against Buena Park, winning 66-39. Jessica Liu scored 19 points and Lev Freiman had 16 points. In the evening, they played Sage Hill and were beaten 60-42.

Coach Charles Solomon said in the morning, “We played great, like we didn’t miss a beat. We had 12 threes. I asked them, ‘Do you want me to make up all the games we missed even if it means playing twice in a day? ‘Please coach, every game we want to play.’”

Brentwood is 14-6 and remains a possible contender for Open Division playoff spot even though the Southern Section rankings fail to reflect that with a No. 52 ranking after missing two weeks of action.

Palos Verdes 56, Palisades 47: Elly Tierney had 14 points for the Dolphins.

Boys basketball

Sierra Canyon 60, Georgia Grayson 46: The Trailblazers (16-3) picked up the victory at the HoopHall Classic. Maximo Adams scored 17 points and Bryce James had 16 points, including four threes.

Miami Columbus 75, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 53: In Springfield, Mass., the Knights (17-3) were no match for nationally ranked Columbus, led by the Duke-bound Boozer brothers. Caleb Agbo had 16 points for Notre Dame. Cam Boozer scored 25 points for Columbus.

Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI 60, St. John Bosco 57: The Braves tried to tie on a last-second three-point attempt that failed in Springfield, Mass. Chris Komin scored 16 points and Christian Collins had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Brandon McCoy, who hasn’t been seen on the court since an injury in November, did not make the trip for the 18-3 Braves.

Redondo Union 92, Los Alamitos 75: Brayden Miner contributed 24 points for the Sea Hawks (20-2).

Mater Dei 79, Campbell Hall 66: Luke Barnett made four threes and nine of 10 free throws en route to a 33-point performance for the Monarchs. Isaiah Johnson scored 30 points for Campbell Hall.

Inglewood 84, Anaheim Canyon 75: Brandon Benjamin contributed 40 points for Canyon in the defeat. Jason Crowe Jr. had 24 points for Inglewood.

Rancho Cucamonga 67, Saugus 63: Aaron Glass had 18 points to lead Rancho Cucamonga. Braydon Harmon scored 24 points and Max Guardado 20 points to lead Saugus.

Damien 53, Crean Lutheran 36: Eli Garner made 10 of 17 shots and finished with 23 points for Damien.

Rancho Verde 63, North Torrance 47: Trestyne Nguru finished with 21 points for Rancho Verde.

Rolling Hills Prep 59, Etiwanda 44: Kawika Suter had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Rolling Hills Prep (17-6).

Wiseburn Da Vinci 60, Grant 49: Jameson Johnson scored 22 points for Wiseburn. Champ Merrill scored 21 points for Grant.

Windward 61, Corona Centennial 49: JJ Harris finished with 18 points for Windward.

Pilibos 77, Chatsworth 56: Anto Balian led the Eagles (14-6) with 34 points.

Oxnard 66, Palisades 64: Marcos Ramirez led Oxnard with 24 points.

Crespi 71, St. Francis 63: The Celts won the Mission League game to go to 16-5 and 1-1 in league. Carter Barnes scored 21 points for Crespi. DeLan Grant led St. Francis with 26 points.

Venice 70, Washington Prep 67: The Gondoliers go on the road and win, putting them in the City Section Open Division conversation. Micah Jahn scored 16 points and Lucca Trujillo had 15 points for Venice.

Minutes after Notre Dame beat Georgia to clinch a berth in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Penn State earlier this month, Tremaine Jackson’s phone buzzed.

“Well, we’re guaranteed one,” the text message read.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and Penn State coach James Franklin would be facing off in the Orange Bowl, assuring that a Black coach would advance to the national title game for the first time in history.

Jackson, 41, who was hired as Prairie View A&M head coach in December, has found himself trading texts and phone calls with fellow Black coaches at the start of every season, wondering who can be the one who coaches his team to the pinnacle.

“We look at the guys who have real opportunities and say who can it be?” Jackson said. “And as the season goes along, you’re all like, ‘Hey, I’m pulling for him.’”

Freeman, whose father is Black and mother is Korean, beat Franklin’s Penn State team for the right to make history. His Fighting Irish meet Ohio State on Monday night in Atlanta for the championship.

Standing on the stage after the Orange Bowl, ESPN reporter Molly McGrath used her third question of four to ask Freeman: “Coach, I know you’re all about team, but I want to give a moment for everyone here to be able to celebrate you, because you are the first Black head coach to go to a national championship game in college football.”

The crowd cheered.

“Just hearing that response alone, how much does this mean to you?”

“I don’t ever want to take attention away from the team. It is an honor and I hope all coaches, minorities, Black, Asian, White, great people continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this. But this ain’t about me. This is about us. We’re going to celebrate what we’ve done. Because it’s something special.”

“It is an honor and I hope all coaches, minorities, Black, Asian, white, it doesn’t matter, great people continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this.”

Marcus Freeman on becoming the first Black and Asian American head coach to make the FBS national championship 👏 pic.twitter.com/KHMksJUNdK

— ESPN (@espn) January 10, 2025

Clips of the exchange almost immediately went viral. The video posted by ESPN alone has 2.6 million views on X.

Much of the response there and elsewhere the clip was posted praised Freeman and criticized McGrath and ESPN for the question. Some believed ESPN was injecting race into a moment where it shouldn’t be present.

Black coaches across the sport can tell you why it should be.

“We’re talking about it because it’s real. What are you pushing when you’re telling me I shouldn’t be talking about this?” said Van Malone, the assistant head coach, defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Kansas State, who has worked with a variety of minority coach associations and serves as the CFO of the Minority Coaches Advancement Association.

“It’s a really, really massive deal,” said Archie McDaniel, who coaches linebackers at Illinois and serves as president of the Minority Coaches Advancement Association. “For me personally, it’s monumental.”

Said Jackson: “When you realize we’ve been playing football since the 1860s, you just go, man, look how far we’ve come. I’m rooting for Marcus like hell. Because it gives us validation.”

Across all levels of college football since it began in 1869 — FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA — only seven Black coaches are believed to have coached a game that could have clinched a national title.

Rudy Hubbard won a Division I-AA title at Florida A&M in 1978.

Mike London, who won an FCS title in 2008 at the University of Richmond, is the only coach to hoist a national title trophy somewhere other than at an HBCU.

Jackson, hired in 2022 as the first Black coach in Valdosta State history, led his program to the Division II national title game last month and lost. He parlayed his work into the job at Prairie View A&M, a historically Black university that competes at the FCS level.

In his almost 20 years as a coach, McDaniel has lost count of how many times he’s heard it. He’ll sit down with a player and talk about life after football. Lots of them bring up coaching, but he’ll hear a familiar phrase from his Black players.

“I would love to be a head coach,” McDaniel said they tell him. “But I don’t know if that’s really possible.”

Currently, 18 of the 134 (13.4 percent) FBS programs have a Black head coach. In the SEC, that number is zero. The ACC has two. Deion Sanders is the only Black coach in the Big 12. Four Big Ten coaches are Black.

One answer as to why there are so few Black coaches in a sport played predominantly by African Americans is that the history of college football is the history of America. Schools and conferences didn’t integrate until the 1960s and ’70s amid the civil rights movement.

The Bowl Championship Series debuted in 1998. Five years later, Mississippi State made Sylvester Croom the first Black head coach in SEC history. Twenty-two years after that moment, the league has four additional programs at 16 and one fewer Black head coach.

Opportunities are rare. Opportunities at good schools that are capable of reaching the national championship game are even rarer. Since 2000, the 48 spots in the national championship game have been occupied by just 17 programs. Seven of those have had a Black full-time head coach not in an interim role at some time in their history.

Much of the reason Freeman’s moment means so much to Black coaches in the sport is because they understand the math. They also know of playing the political game, Jackson said. Many don’t want to speak out about diversity publicly, Malone said.

“The older crowd never thought they’d see it,” Jackson said. “The younger crowd expects to see it and thinks it’s easy to get there.”

McDaniel said that a few years ago the Minority Coaches Advancement Association counted the number of minority head coaches by hand at the more than 500 programs at every level of the sport. They found 45.

“I’m a numbers guy. All I look at are numbers. And numbers and opportunity have a direct reflection on one another,” he said.

The National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches — founded by Maryland coach Mike Locksley in 2020 — works to expand schools’ applicant pools when openings arise and point them to candidates that might not be on their radar. One such effort from the group, which has over 2,000 members, paired up-and-coming coaches with athletic directors for an 18-month mentorship program, according to Raj Kudchadkar, executive director of the NCMFC. Freeman was paired with Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez.

Notre Dame promoted Freeman from defensive coordinator in December 2021 after Brian Kelly left for LSU.

In an open letter to Notre Dame shortly after he was hired, Freeman addressed it more openly than he has during this Playoff run.

“Being a part of this coalition has been an important reminder that: Hey, you are a representation of a lot of people. And that’s what I want to be. I want to be a representation, but also more than that I want to be a demonstration,” Freeman wrote. “I want to be a demonstration of what someone can do, and the level they can do it at, if they are given the OPPORTUNITY. Because that’s what is needed: opportunity. We need more minorities to get the opportunity to interview — and we need more minorities to get the opportunity to do a job that they can have success in.”

Multiple coaches pointed to Black head coaches Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith going head-to-head in the Super Bowl in 2007 — Dungy became the first Black head coach to be crowned the NFL’s champion when his Indianapolis Colts won — and noted that Monday night might be remembered similarly, especially if Freeman’s Irish pull the upset.

“What this moment provides is hope for a lot of people that have had a lot of moments of being discouraged,” McDaniel said. “It’s really hard at times to imagine yourself accomplishing something that has literally never been done.”

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)