The Washington Commanders hit a field goal as time expired in regulation to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 and advance to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. This was the first postseason win for Washington since January 14th, 2006.
Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden showed incredible poise in his first playoff game, completing 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns, and a team-high 36 rushing yards. More importantly, the 2024 Pro Bowler led a ten-play, 51-yard drive to kick a field goal as time expired, securing the win for Washington. Daniels became just the 12th rookie quarterback ever to win a playoff game.
Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans made his presence felt right away with two catches for 34 yards on the opening drive of the game. That led to a Tampa Bay field goal and a 3-0 lead. Evans finished the game with seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown, clearly getting the best of Washington cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
On the ensuing series, the Commanders were stopped on a 4th and 2 at Tampa Bay’s 20 yard line, resulting in a turnover on downs. Washington finished the day going three for five on fourth down. Coming into this one, the Commanders were the NFL’s best team on fourth down with 20 conversions on 23 attempts during the regular season.
Washington then put together a remarkable 17-play drive that shaved over nine minutes off the clock. The Commanders finished off that series with a ten-yard touchdown reception by wideout Dyami Brown to go ahead 7-3 in the second quarter. That was Brown’s second TD reception of the season and his first touchdown catch since Week Five. It also marked the first career postseason touchdown for Jayden Daniels.
.@deuce2_ GETS US ON THE BOARD
📺 #WASvsTB @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/4XqCkEqnzn
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 13, 2025
Penalties were a killer for the Bucs who were flagged seven times for 65 yards. Their third penalty of the first half – a defensive holding call – wiped out a nine-yard sack, resulting in a 52-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez to give the Commanders a 10-3 lead late in the second quarter. Entering this matchup, Tampa averaged 6.4 penalties per game.
Following Tampa’s initial field goal drive, Washington did a good job of containing the Bucs’ offense, forcing Tampa Bay to punt the ball on its next two possessions despite giving up 47 total yards. That all changed before halftime when Tampa advanced the ball to Washington’s 12 yard line in 1:35 by picking up 62 yards on six plays. After a defensive pass interference call in the end zone, QB Baker Mayfield hooked up with Mike Evans for a one-yard touchdown to tie the game 10-10 going into the break.
Dyami Brown continued to put up great numbers, finishing the night with five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown, the second-highest single-game receiving output of his career. His two catches for 54 yards on Washington’s first possession of the third quarter led to a field goal that put the Commanders back on top 13-10.
Tampa Bay rookie running back Bucky Irving showed out in his first playoff game, accumulating 83 total yards and a receiving TD. Irving’s third-quarter touchdown reception, which put the Buccaneers ahead 17-13, was the first TD catch of his young career.
BUC-KY! BUC-KY! BUC-KY!
📺: #WASvsTB on NBC pic.twitter.com/hAXjJsvH3K
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 13, 2025
Backed up in their own red zone, Tampa forced its second turnover on downs of the game to hold Washington out of the end zone after the Commanders were given a 1st and goal from the one yard line following a defensive pass interference call on defensive back Zyon McCollum.
The game’s first turnover came in the fourth quarter when Baker Mayfield fumbled the exchange on an end-around to rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan, giving the Commanders the ball in Tampa’s red zone. Washington took advantage of the great starting field position, scoring a touchdown on fourth down from five yards out to reclaim the lead 20-17 with 9:46 left in the game. That was the first second-half touchdown allowed by the Buccaneers defense since Week 13.
Tampa answered back with a 61-yard drive that stalled out at Washington’s 13 yard line after a mistimed snap allowed the Commanders to tackle Bucky Irving for a two-yard loss on a 3rd and inches, so the Bucs kicked a 32-yard field goal to tie things up at 20 with under five minutes to go.
Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, Washington got the ball and never gave it back, hitting a game-winning field goal to knock Tampa Bay out of the playoffs.
With that win in the books, the Commanders will travel to Detroit next weekend to take on the Lions while the Philadelphia Eagles will play host to the winner of the Minnesota Vikings-Los Angeles Rams game.
