Commanders Chemistry at All-Time High Before Lions Game

The Washington Commanders are playing together, which poses a real challenge for the Detroit Lions.
Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders place kicker Zane Gonzalez (47) celebrates with teammates after kicking the game-wining field goal during the fourth quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders place kicker Zane Gonzalez (47) celebrates with teammates after kicking the game-wining field goal during the fourth quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders have kept things close for the past month or so, winning each of their last five games in the final moments of the game.

This run of clutch performances has given the Commanders a ton of confidence and camaraderie going into this weekend's Divisional Round matchup against the Detroit Lions.

“You can feel their instant connection," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said. "That's honestly what I feel in these moments where at the end, they do have belief in one another and that's one of the coolest parts of it. Whether it was a defensive stop, an offensive stop, I mean, excuse me, defensive stop, an offensive score or a field goal that takes place. All of those are really cool memories. We don't look back a lot, honestly, just because we don't want to miss what's next and what's coming up, but it is really cool to know that in these spots they're comfortable and they've been in a lot of them. So, there's a real belief that goes with being in that spot.”

The Commanders will use that belief to take on the Lions, who are arguably the best team they have played all season.

The Lions went 15-2 in the regular season, and it will take every ounce of belief to go into Ford Field and steal a win from the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but the Commanders may just have enough if any of the previous five games have shown anything.


Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders Get Unexpected Boost in Win vs. Buccaneers

• Thriving on the Edge: Commanders Formula for Close-Game Success

• Commanders' Offensive Efficiency Matched Previous Super Bowl Contenders

• 3 Stars from Commanders Wild Card Win Over the Buccaneers


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.