7 winners (and 1 loser) from Commanders' stunning playoff success at the Lions

The Washington Commanders are going to the NFC Conference championship game.

This team continues to defy the odds. It defies the typical logic associated with first-year rebuilds. They are an incredible example of how to approach every challenge with purpose, professionalism, and collective desire. Their results continue to captivate the imagination of everyone around the league.

Not many gave them a shot at the Detroit Lions. They began the game as 8.5-point underdogs with sportsbooks versus the NFC's No. 1 seed. It didn't take long to realize that head coach Dan Campbell's squad was going to have a supreme fight on their hands.

The Commanders looked like they belonged. They rose to the big occasion and closed things out with ruthless conviction. And now, Dan Quinn and this once-downtrodden organization is one victory away from reaching the Super Bowl.

This was beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Many thought the Commanders had done well to reach this point and playing with house money wasn't enough to topple Detroit. That was not an opinion shared by anyone in the locker room.

They believe anything is possible. And it would take a brave man to write them off next weekend regardless of who's standing in their way.

That's for the not-too-distant future. For now, here are six winners and one loser from Washington's thrilling upset success at Ford Field.

Winners and losers from Commanders' upset triumph at the Lions

Winner No. 1

Jonathan Allen - Commanders DT

Big games like this call for big performers. Jonathan Allen was exactly that during his best performance in some time.

Allen came back for this. The Washington Commanders gave him a chance by making it to the playoffs. This spurred the defensive tackle to recover from his torn pectoral quicker than expected to lend a helping hand during the postseason.

There was pressure on Allen to perform in this one. His Pro Bowl-caliber powers were on the wane. He needed to remind everyone that there was still plenty of juice left in the tank. The Pro Bowler set the tone in the defensive trenches and was a relentless presence in the Detroit Lions backfield.

The former first-round pick out of Alabama gained just one tackle, but Allen impacted proceedings in different ways. He secured six pressures — his highest number since Week 11 of the 2022 season. There was also one tackle for loss, a pass breakup, four hurries, and three quarterback hits to further enhance his influence.

This was much more like it from Allen. He can look back on his performance with an enormous sense of pride. And he wasn't alone in that regard.