The Washington Commanders are coming off their first playoff victory in 19 years. With another win, they’ll be in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season.

“Anytime you get to play football in January, it’s a blessing,” Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen said. “We’re aware of that. We’re focused on what we got to do to get on to the next week. …

“We’re excited, but we’re not satisfied.”

“To get on to the next week,” the Commanders must defeat the Detroit Lions in a Divisional Round game at 7 p.m. CST Saturday. FOX will televise the game.

The lowest-seeded team remaining in the NFL playoffs, Washington was the only visitor to win on Wild-Card Weekend by scoring a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Commanders kicked the deciding field goal on the last snap of the game.

Washington has won its past five games. The Commanders scored winning touchdowns with six and three seconds to gain two of the victories, stopped a two-point conversion with no time on the clock in another and posted an overtime victory when the opponent missed a field-goal attempt on the final play of the fourth quarter.

While Washington is the NFC’s sixth seed, Detroit carries the conference’s top seed, which came with a first-round bye for the Lions.

“We done played a lot of tough games to the end here,” Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne said. “I feel like we have the capability to go blow-for-blow with anybody. We know what it takes to muscle out a win.”

Teammates at Alabama before becoming teammates with Washington, Allen and Payne figure to handle key roles on Saturday night when the Commanders face the NFL’s highest-scoring team.

“I think for me and the defensive line,” Allen said, “it comes down to just re-creating a new line of scrimmage and dominating the line of scrimmage. That’s going to be our goal going into the game.”

Lions quarterback Jared Goff has 37 touchdown passes and the NFC’s best passing-efficiency rating this season. Allen and Payne aim to get the Detroit QB off his game.

“Interior pressure is the goal,” Allen said. “If you can get interior pressure, move him off his spot, maybe make him go to a second read, that’s what’s going to come down to.”

Detroit is seeking its second straight appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Last season, the Lions lost to the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in their first trip to the conference title contest since the 1991 campaign.

In that game, Washington defeated Detroit 41-10 on Jan. 12, 1992, on its way to the Super Bowl and hasn’t gotten past the Divisional Round since.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.