Jayden Daniels shines vs. Bucs for Commanders’ first playoff win since 2005 season: Takeaways

By Ben Standig, Mike Jones and Cale Clinton

The Washington Commanders secured their first playoff win since the 2005 season after Zane Gonzalez doinked a game-winning field goal off and through the upright to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 on Sunday night. The Commanders will next head to Detroit to face the top-seeded Lions in the divisional round.

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

— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2025

Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was the star of the night, as he has been for much of Washington’s turnaround season. He finished the night 24-of-35 passing for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also serving as the team’s leading rusher with 13 carries for 36 yards. Daniels joins Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez and Russell Wilson as the only rookie quarterbacks to win their first career playoff games on the road.

Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown had a career night. He took over in the second half, finishing the game with 89 yards and a touchdown on a career-high five receptions. For the Buccaneers, Mike Evans won the next installment of his rivalry with cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Evans posted a game-high 92 receiving yards and a touchdown while hauling in all seven of his targets.

The Buccaneers will have a lot to think about this offseason after they were sunk by crucial mistakes throughout Sunday’s game. Nearly running out of time in the midst of a two-minute drill at the end of the first half, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles was bailed out by a Lattimore defensive pass interference that eventually set up an Evans touchdown. Bowles then let a minute burn off the clock in the final moments of the game before the Commanders’ game-winning field goal.

Baker Mayfield, who was 15-of-18 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns, also had a crucial fumble on a failed handoff inside the Buccaneers’ 20-yard-line. The Commanders recovered and converted it into a go-ahead touchdown.

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Daniels is the man

Rookies usually fade in their playoff debuts. Daniels isn’t usual. The rookie quarterback didn’t blink in his playoff debut. He repeatedly completed passes on third and fourth downs. He ran when needed, and evaded pass rushers. The touchdown surge with Terry McLaurin continued.

On Washington’s final drive, Daniels completed all three passes for 44 yards and converted a third-and-2 from the Buccaneers 19-yard line. At no point did he appear rattled or nervous, another trait of a spectacular season that isn’t over. The presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year mostly remained as poised and calm as he did for 17 regular-season games.

Now, he gets a shot at the NFC’s No. 1-seed. Washington will be a heavy underdog against Detroit. Count out Daniels at your own risk. — Ben Standig, Commanders beat writer

Magic Johnson pic.twitter.com/kS6lMMvEYJ

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) January 13, 2025

Lattimore struggles in Evans rematch

The hyped Lattimore-Evans matchup fizzled from the Washington perspective. The former NFC South rivals with a feisty rivalry involving fights, ejections and a suspension figured to be a back-and-forth battle. Instead, Evans dominated, catching all seven of his targets for 92 yards and a 1-yard touchdown.

Most of the production went against Lattimore in his return to action after missing two games with a lingering hamstring injury. The cornerback was flagged for two pass interference penalties, including one blatant hug on Evans in the end zone. The hulking receiver’s touchdown came on the next play.

The Commanders’ coaching staff adjusted soon after. Lattimore sat out some plays on Tampa Bay’s second drive but he was on the field for Bucky Irving’s 4-yard touchdown catch. He just wasn’t on Evans. Instead of traveling with the Bucs’ big man, Lattimore stayed on the right side.

Upon making the trade deadline deal for the four-time Pro Bowler that sent 2025 third and fourth picks to New Orleans, this wasn’t what Washington envisioned. The hamstring cost Lattimore six regular-season games for the Commanders, one more than the number of pass-interference penalties called on Lattimore in his last two games.

This trade was not viewed as a short-term play. Lattimore’s contract runs through 2026, though no guaranteed money remains for the final two years. — Standig

What can Brown do for you?

You never know which player becomes an unsung hero. Brown rose to the occasion in his first playoff appearance. The fourth-year player produced little in those first three seasons but caught coach Dan Quinn’s eye this summer with his hard work and downfield speed. The belief paid off. Brown went for 89 yards — his most since Week 5 of the 2022 season.

His 10-yard reception in the second quarter put the Commanders on the board, and he added a 21-yard catch on third-and-6 from Washington territory on the go-ahead drive. — Standig

Self-inflicted wounds cost Buccaneers at home

The Buccaneers were the only higher-seeded team to lose in Saturday’s and Sunday’s wild-card action. Their matchup with Washington also was the most closely contested of the first round as well.

Penalties hampered Tampa Bay during a slow start and put the Bucs in longer down-and-distance situations. Then defensive lapses allowed Washington to convert on three of five fourth-down plays (including the touchdown play that gave the Commanders a 20-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter). The fumble at the 13 positioned Washington for that lead-taking fourth-down play.

The Buccaneers needed a stop within the final 4:41 of action, but with the score tied, Tampa’s defensive backs struggled in pass coverage and allowed Daniels to complete all three of his pass attempts and let him scramble four yards for the crucial first down on third-and-2 with 39 seconds left, which set up the winning field goal.

The Bucs have encountered all kinds of calamity this season and they have displayed great resilience. However, they couldn’t get out of their own way Sunday. — Mike Jones, senior NFL writer

Tampa Bay’s rushing attack falls flat

Offensive inconsistencies also hurt the offense. For the first half, Mayfield was the team’s most productive offensive weapon, leading the Bucs in rushing while also directing two scoring drives, capping one with a passing touchdown.

The Bucs got their rushing attack with Irving going in the third quarter. But then, they couldn’t get the crucial yards they needed in the red zone with less than five minutes left and had to settle for a game-tying field goal rather than a lead-taking touchdown. — Jones

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(Photo: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)