To upset the No. 1 seeded Detroit Lions on the road, the Washington Commanders knew they’d probably have to be perfect. They knew they’d have to pull out every trick from their bag to steal points, possessions, and generally keep the Lions on their toes.

The Commanders took a major gamble with Jayden Daniels in the lineup on fourth down. But Marcus Mariota ended up getting criticized.

The Commanders are going to have to play a near-perfect game to usurp the Lions in Detroit on Saturday night and punch a ticket to the NFC championship game. How exactly journeyman quarterback Marcus Mariota fits into that plan remains to be seen.

The Washington Commanders may have gotten a little too cute on fourth down early in Saturday's NFC Divisional Round matchup against the Detroit Lions. The

Marcus Mariota’s clutch play in the game’s final seconds earned the Commanders a six playoff seed highlighting the power of unseen preparation.

The Commanders didn't just sign a backup quarterback when they brought Marcus Mariota on board, they signed a mentor on several levels.

Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota had some high praise for rookie, Jayden Daniels's future after Week 18

Veteran Marcus Mariota will finish the regular season at quarterback for the Washington Commanders. With a playoff spot locked up, head coach Dan Quinn chose to play it safe in the second half and sit rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.