Commanders Eliminate Buccaneers To Secure First Playoff Win In 19 Years

The Washington Commanders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 on Sunday night for a NFL playoff win at Raymond James Stadium. 

The Bucs (10-8)  had made the postseason for the fifth straight season, but the Commanders (13-5) made their playoff run this season brief.

The NFC wild-card game marked the Commanders’ first playoff victory in 6,945 days. Washington had not won in the postseason since beating the Buccaneers 17-10 in a wild-card game Jan. 7, 2006.  

19 years after their last playoff win, the @Commanders are moving on 📈 #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/nKtk7YNzow

— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2025

Commanders’ Late Surge Tops Bucs

It was an intense matchup as both teams entered as two of the league’s highest-scoring offenses. The Bucs were ranked fourth (29.5 ppg), while the Commanders were fifth (28.5 ppg) during the regular season. 

The game was a back-and-forth battle that resulted in the Commanders eventually taking the lead.

A touchdown catch by running back Bucky Irving put the Bucs up 17-13 into the fourth quarter. 

Washington took the ball after a poor handoff between QB Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Jalen McMillan on a jet sweep at the Bucs’ 13-yard line. Washington’s rookie QB Jayden Daniels threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin to give the Commanders the edge at 20-17. 

On their next possession, the Bucs had to settle for a game-tying 32-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin after center Graham Barton appeared to snap the ball early. This gave the Commanders and Daniels the advantage to execute a game-winning drive in the final 4:41.

And the No. 2 pick did just that as the Bucs never got the ball back. Daniels ran for a first down to set up Zane Gonazlez’s 37-yard field goal that clinched the victory. 

A DOINK TO THE DIVISIONAL ROUND!!!! @COMMANDERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/TRwyX11zcZ

— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2025

Daniels became the third rookie QB in three years and the first Washington rookie QB since 1937 to win a playoff game. He also threw for 268 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, while playing with a bandage under his right eye after a gash.

“It means a lot, man,” Daniels said. “You could just see all the fans over here, man, they’re waiting for us. They’ve waited a long time for this moment and this feeling, so I’m just so happy for them.”

On the other side, Mayfield recorded his highest success rate (65.2%) in a game since joining the Bucs. He completed 15 of 18 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Still, the Bucs fell short with only seven possessions.

Daniels Leads Commanders’ Turnaround

The Commanders’ win was a comeback from losing to the Buccaneers 37-20 in the first week of the season in Daniels’ first NFL start.

Since the first week, Daniels went on to have an extraordinary season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and helped improve Washington from 4-13 to 12-5. 

Up Next

The Commanders face the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions (15-2) in the Divisional Round on Saturday at 8 p.m. (Fox) at Ford Field in Detroit.