The Detroit Lions begin a two game road trip in Week 10, where they'll be facing off with a very injured Washington Commanders squad. Washington just lost their star quarterback Jayden Daniels for multiple weeks with an elbow injury in his non-throwing arm, and their injury reports this weekn have been..lengthy, to say the least.
Injury Report: pic.twitter.com/6NLVQ1Xet6
— Washington Commanders PR (@Wash_PR) November 5, 2025
The Lions aren't doing much better, with a notable addition to their IR including Christian Mahogany with a fractured bone in his leg. They're ramping rookie guard Miles Frazier and pass rusher Josh Paschal back up into action, though, neither are expected to play in Week 10.
Still, there are plenty of matchups to keep an eye on in this NFC clash - some of which can dictate the entire game.
3 matchups to watch for between Lions and Commanders in Week 10
Aidan Hutchinson vs. Commanders' O-line
The Lions are dealing with a much less athletic quarterback in Marcus Mariota on Sunday afternoon given Daniels' injury, which means that Aidan Hutchinson could feast.
However, the Commanders' offensive line, anchored by rookie tackle Josh Conerly Jr., guard Sam Cosmi, center Tyler Biadasz, guard Chris Paul (not that one), and tackle Laremy Tunsil have been one of the better pass blocking teams in the NFL. Per ESPN, they're winning their pass blocks at a rate of 66 percent, which is good for ninth overall in the league through nine weeks of action.
The Lions are still dead last at 32nd overall in pass rush win rate through nine weeks, but Hutchinson has been so close to multiple sacks over the last few weeks. More agile quarterbacks like J.J. McCarthy and Baker Mayfield have simply made his job a bit more difficult that normal.
If he can attack their O-line in this game, it disrupts their entire rhythm on offense - or, just stops them from establishing one at all.
Terrion Arnold vs. Terry McLaurin
Arnold came back with a vengeance in Week 9 against the Vikings, notching his first career interception. Since Week 4 and per The Detroit Times, Arnold has allowed a 2nd-best 38.1 passer rating against opposing quarterbacks. He's been an unsung hero in this Lions defense, and his absence was definitely felt while he was out with a shoulder injury.
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McLaurin has not been as impactful this season as many hoped he'd be, hitting just 203 receiving yards and one touchdown through four games played this year. Injuries have held him, and the rest of the Commanders' offense, back. It's hard to see how Mariota will fare any better than Daniels in finding him downfield if Arnold is draped on him.
Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Commanders' run stopping
While the Lions' offensive line faces a huge challenge in trying to protect Jared Goff in the pocket this week, it's their ability to win against the Commanders' defensive line when opening lanes up for Jahmyr Gibbs that can make or break this game. Gibbs was held to just 29 rushing yards against the Vikings in Week 9, showing there's a formula to defeating this dynamic Lions offense - just stop the run.
Easier said than done, of course. This was Gibbs' first truly "bad" game, and you'd have to imagine the Lions are scheming up ways to get him more burn this week as a result. But, Washington is winning 34 percent of their run stops this season, which is good for 11th in the league overall. Detroit is winning 70 percent of their run blocking attempts. Iron is sure to sharpen iron in the trenches during this contest.