Daniels leads Commanders to first NFC championship in 33 years, upsetting No. 1 seed Lions

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Detroit (AP) — Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns in a perfect performance by Washington's talented newcomer, and the Commanders stunned the Detroit Lions 45-31 on Saturday night to reach the NFC championship game for the first time since it won the Super Bowl 33 years ago.

The sixth-seeded Commanders had been considered double-digit underdogs against the heavily favored Lions, but they overcame those doubts and raised their profile all season with their performances led by their rookie quarterback and new coach-general manager duo.

Detroit, the number one seed in the NFC, squandered its chance to win by committing five turnovers.

Washington rookie Mike Sainristil recorded two interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter when a trick play involving receiver Jameson Williams resulted in a pass thrown into coverage off a reverse pass. The other interception was returned 40 yards for a touchdown by Quan Martin.

Jared Goff threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, giving the ball up three times in the disastrous first half.

Daniels put up numbers of 299 passing yards and 51 rushing yards and – equally as significant – avoided giving the ball to the other team.

CHIEFS 23, TEXANS 14

Patrick Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, mostly to his good friend Travis Kelce, leading Kansas City to a win over Houston and securing their seventh consecutive appearance in the AFC championship game.

Alongside WNBA star Caitlin Clark in the suite, tight end Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, contributing to the Chiefs' (16-2) ongoing fight for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl championship.

In an attempt to knock the reigning champions off their pedestal.

Mahomes improved to a 16-3 record in postseason games, which matched Joe Montana for the second-most wins in NFL history behind Tom Brady. He also extended his win streak to 7-0 in the divisional round of the playoffs. Furthermore, Mahomes contributed to Andy Reid becoming the fourth NFL coach to earn 300 career victories.

Meanwhile, the Texans (11-8) still have yet to win in six divisional games. They've lost twice to the Kansas City team.