What are the Washington Commanders talking about ahead of Saturday's Divisional Round playoff game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field? Let's find out:
1. Dan Quinn has done a terrific job turning the Commanders around from a four-win team last season to a 12-win club in 2024 and one of the final four teams left playing in the NFC. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Monday he has a lot of respect for the job Quinn has done in Washington. The respect is mutual.
"I think he's done a fantastic job," Quinn said Tuesday of Campbell. "You see the play style and identity and those are the things as a coach that you really want to make sure that is really rock solid and crystal clear and so we've certainly followed him."
2. Quinn also said having assistant general manager Lance Newmark in the building in Washington has given the Commanders insight into how things turned around in Detroit and why that's been really beneficial for their organization. Newmark is in his first season in Washington after spending 26 seasons with the Lions with his last post in Detroit being Senior Director of Player Personnel to help oversee both the college and pro scouting operations.
3. Ford Field is one of the loudest places to play in the NFL for opposing offenses. What are some of the elements in pre-snap operation that rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels thinks will allow him to get to a play or a check and execute without the false starts and delay of games Saturday night?
"Just getting on the ball and getting set and not moping around so we have time to see the defense and see if we need to make a check or communicate protections," he said Tuesday. "It kind of just goes with our urgency and how we approach the line of scrimmage each and every play."
Daniels said he's gotten used to playing in noisy venues, especially coming from LSU and the SEC, but did admit he's heard Ford Field is very 'electric' and he's excited for Lions fans to come out and bring some juice. He said Detroit has a passionate fanbase and he knows it's going to be loud in Ford Field. He and his teammates on offense have to be prepared for the crowd noise.
4. The Lions have gone for it on fourth down 33 times this season, fourth most in the NFL and were successful 66.7 percent of the time. Washington had the highest success rate on fourth down this season at 87 percent (20-for-23) and were 3-for-5 on fourth down in their win over Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Round.
"It's definitely different," Quinn said of the more aggressive approach to fourth down since he first entered the league. "It has to do a lot with your team, too, in terms of how you play. But we had known from an efficiency standpoint they (Detroit) are excellent at it. We're excellent at it. So obviously big parts of the game to go through it. It has changed a lot ... and that's one of the cool parts about football. Things evolve and change."
Quinn said the key to fourth down success is being bold without being reckless. Fourth down figures to be a key aspect of the game Saturday night.
5. How has former Lions quarterback and current Commanders assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough helped Daniels this season?
"Just the approach," Daniels said. "He's competitive, too. He tries to fire me up with some things and get me going. But obviously just the ins and outs. He's very smart and very intelligent and just the little things."
Blough is in his first season on Washington's coaching staff.
View photos of the starters for the Washington Commanders.

Head Coach: Dan Quinn
Offensive Coordinator: Kliff Kingsbury
Defensive Coordinator: Joe Whitt Jr.
Special Teams Coordinator: Larry Izzo
(AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

WR Terry McLaurin
Backed up by Jamison Crowder and Chris Moore
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

LT Brandon Coleman
Backed up by Cornelius Lucas
(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

LG Nick Allegretti
Backed up by Chris Paul
(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

C Tyler Biadasz
Backed up by Michael Deiter
(AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

RG Sam Cosmi
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

RT Andrew Wylie
Backed up by Trent Scott and Anim Dankwah
(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)

TE Zach Ertz
Backed up by John Bates and Ben Sinnott
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

WR Dyami Brown
Backed up by K.J. Osborn
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

WR Olamide Zaccheaus
Backed up by Luke McCaffrey
(AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

QB Jayden Daniels
Backed up by Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskel
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

RB Brian Robinson Jr.
Backed up by Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr.
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

DE Clelin Ferrell
Backed up by Jalyn Holmes
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

DT Daron Payne
Backed up by Sheldon Day
(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

DT Jonathan Allen
Backed up by Jer'Zhan Newton
(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

DE Dorance Armstrong
Backed up by Javontae Jean-Baptiste
(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

LB Frankie Luvu
Backed up by Mykal Walker
(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

LB Bobby Wagner
Backed up by Nick Bellore and Jordan Magee
(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)

LB Dante Fowler Jr.
Backed up by Dominique Hampton
(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

CB Benjamin St-Juste
Backed up by Kevon Seymour
(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

CB Marshon Lattimore
Backed up by Michael Davis
(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

CB Mike Sainristil
Backed up by Noah Igbinoghene
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

SS Jeremy Chinn
Backed up by Percy Butler and Darrick Forrest
(AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

FS Quan Martin
Backed up by Jeremy Reaves
(AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

P/H Tress Way
(AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)

K Zane Gonzalez
(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

LS Tyler Ott
(AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis)

KR Noah Igbinoghene
Backed up by Austin Ekeler
(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

PR Jamison Crowder
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
6. What stands out to Quinn about Detroit's defense? He said their aggressiveness in man-to-man defense and especially how good the they are on third down. Detroit was No. 1 in the NFL during the regular season on third down. Opponents converted just 32.4 percent of the time (60-for-185).
7. One thing Quinn said he really respects about Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is how he's dealt with all the injuries this season.
"One thing I've respected is so many times when you see a team have injuries, they change to play differently, 'Let's play more of this,' which they never did," he said.
It's a great message from Glenn to his team to not let one set of circumstances take them out of their game and the style of defense they want to play.
"I thought there's some boldness and confidence that goes with that," Quinn said. "I think it's a great lesson."