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Commanders vs. Buccaneers highlights: Jayden Daniels leads last-second playoff escape

Jordan Mendoza ,  Jim Reineking ,  Jason Anderson   Paste BN
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The Washington Commanders have pulled off the upset and stunned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 23-20 win in a thrilling wild-card matchup.

It was a back-and-forth affair that saw the lead change on nearly every drive in the second half, and when the score was tied up late in the fourth quarter, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels dazzled once again. He orchestrated another game-winning drive – this time in his first postseason game – that was capped by a 37-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez that hit the upright.

Daniels finished the night with 268 yards on 24-of-35 passing attempts with two touchdown tosses, and he was the leading rusher for the team with 36 yards on the ground. 

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s season ends in disappointment after it clinched the NFC South in the final week of the regular season. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans had another spectacular game together, but a Mayfield fumble in the fourth quarter gave the opposing team hope and was a key play in the Commanders victory. Tampa Bay becomes the first division winner to be eliminated in the wild card round.

Washington becomes the first lower seed and road team to win this postseason. It’s also the teams first postseason win since the 2005 playoffs, and sets up a date with the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions in the divisional round on Saturday. 

Tampa Bay continues the streak of division winners and home teams winning this postseason.

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Commanders vs. Buccaneers highlights

Divisional playoff round schedule

Saturday

Sunday

One of NFL's longest playoff victory droughts ends

With their wild-card playoff victory over the Buccaneers, the Commanders ended an 18-season playoff win drought, getting their first playoff win since the 2005 season.

The Miami Dolphins continue to own the longest such streak at 24 seasons.

Commanders 23, Buccaneers 20: Zane Gonzalez hits game-winner off upright

The upset is complete – barely.

Jayden Daniels drove Washington down the field, and converted a key third down play to get the clock down as Tampa Bay used all of its timeouts. With three seconds left, Zane Gonzalez went out to attempt a 37-yard field goal and the kick went off the right upright and bounced in to seal the victory.

Buccaneers 20, Commanders 20: Tampa Bay ties it up

It’s all squared up with less than five minutes to go in what is shaping up to be a thrilling ending.

Tampa Bay’s offense found some rhythm to get into Washington territory and faced a third-and-short, but an awkward snap led to the Commanders' defensive line rushing right through the line of scrimmage and taking Bucky Irving down for a 2-yard loss.

Todd Bowles sent out the kicking unit and Chase McLaughlin nailed a 32-yarder to even the score.

Commanders 20, Buccaneers 17: Washington converts on fourth down

Another fourth down play in the red zone, but this time it works in Washington’s favor. 

The Commanders capitalized on a Baker Mayfield fumble with Jayden Daniels finding Terry McLaurin for a 5-yard score on the fourth down play. It was the second-straight drive Washington went for it on fourth down, and are 3-for-5 on the night. 

Baker Mayfield fumbles

Washington has a prime opportunity to score after Baker Mayfield lost the ball deep inside Tampa Bay territory. He tried to hand the ball off on a fake but couldn’t hold on, and Washington’s Bobby Wagner was right there to pounce on it.

The Commanders get the ball at the 13-yard line.

Commanders stopped on fourth and goal

The lead remains in Tampa Bay’s favor after Washington couldn’t convert inside the Buccaneers' 10-yard line.

Thanks to a pass interference call in the end zone, Washington was set up at the 1-yard line with a chance to take the lead. However, the Commanders had two incompletions and were stuffed on a Brian Robinson run. The offense stayed on the field for fourth down, and Jayden Daniels couldn’t get the ball through the tide window to Zach Ertz. 

Tampa Bay now takes over with 14 minutes left to go.

End of third quarter: Buccaneers 17, Commanders 13

Tampa Bay will head into the final quarter with a slim lead in what has been the closest contest of the playoffs so far.

Washington opened the third quarter with a field goal and Tampa Bay responded with a touchdown. Now, the Commanders are driving down the field with a chance to cut the deficit or take the lead.

It’s been a solid day for the stars on the field with Jayden Daniels throwing for 211 yards on 18-for-16 passing with a touchdown and Baker Mayfield is 12-for-15 with 131 yards with two touchdowns. Receiver Mike Evans has a game-high six catches on 84 yards with a touchdown grab, while Terry McLaurin has 79 yards on five catches for Washington.

Buccaneers 17, Commanders 13: Tampa Bay marches down field

The Buccaneers offense is clicking on all cylinders with another touchdown to open the third quarter and retake the lead.

Tampa Bay had little issues moving the ball on a 10-play, 72-yard drive that was primarily led by Mike Evans and Bucky Irving. Baker Mayfield found Irving out of the backfield for a 4-yard touchdown for the second-straight drive to end in a touchdown.

It’s Mayfield's second touchdown toss of the night.

Daron Payne injury

Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne left action in the first half while holding his hand, and the team said he is questionable to return with a finger injury.

Commanders 13, Buccaneers 10: Tampa Bay prevents touchdown

Washington went right down the field to open the second half but the Buccaneers held on strong to force a field goal.

Dyami Brown has been the breakout star for the Commanders on Sunday. Already with a touchdown catch, he had a big 30-yard catch and then followed with a 24-yard gain on the next play to get Washington inside the five. 

However, the Commanders weren’t able to punch it and Zane Gonzalez was sent out to kick an easy 22-yard field goal to reclaim the lead.

Halftime: Commanders 10, Buccaneers 10

It’s all tied up at the break in Tampa Bay.

The Commanders had the ball for more than 11 minutes in the second frame, mostly on a 17-play drive that started in the first quarter and resulted in the first touchdown of the game, with Jayden Daniels connecting with Dyami Brown for a 10-yard strike. 

Washington looked to be heading into the locker room with the lead, but not on Baker Mayfield’s and Mike Evans’ watch. The two were critical in getting the offense down the field late in the half and connected to score Tampa Bay’s first touchdown of the night. He’s 11-for-16 with 108 yards and a touchdown in the air, and has nine carries for 30 yards on the ground.

Meanwhile the matchup everyone wanted to watch in Evans vs. Marson Lattimore is in favor of the Buccaneers receiver. Evans has a game-high five catches for 66 yards and has caused frustrations for his rival.

Commanders 10, Buccaneers 10: Tampa Bay ties it right before halftime

The key play on the drive was Baker Mayfield using his legs on a third down play for an 18-yard gain to keep the momentum alive. From there, Mayfield went for his go-to-guy Mike Evans several times, including on a play that resulted in pass interference from Marshon Lattimore to put Tampa Bay at the 1-yard line.

On the next play, Mayfield went back to Evans and the ball somehow found its way right into Evans’ hands for the score.

The duo connected for three catches for 32 yards on the scoring drive.

Commanders 10, Buccaneers 3: Washington adds field goal

It’s a touchdown lead for Washington after Zane Gonzalez kicked the longest field goal of his time for the Commanders with a 52-yarder.

Early in the drive, the Buccaneers forced a fourth down with a big-time sack, but Zyon McCollum was called for holding on Terry McLaurin on the play that extended the Washington drive. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, it was able to prevent another first down and Washington opted for its first goal of the game.

Penalty hurts Buccaneers drive

Tampa Bay couldn’t get much of a chance to respond to Washington’s touchdown drive with a three-and-out.

On the second play, running back Bucky Irving got called for a chop block penalty that set the offense back 15 yards. On the following play, Tampa Bay only got two yards to set up a third-and-long. Baker Mayfield found Rachaad White for a 13-yard gain that fell short, and the Buccaneers will punt on their second-consecutive drive.

Commanders 7, Buccaneers 3: Washington caps long drive with score

It took more than nine minutes, but Washington has its first lead of the night after a 17-play touchdown drive.

The Commanders started at their own 8-yard line when there was three minutes left in the first quarter, and they continued to move the chains down the field into Tampa Bay territory. At the Buccaneer 23-yard line, Washington faced another fourth down and again kept the offense on the field. This time, Austin Eckler was able to get past the marker to keep the drive alive.

On a third-and-goal, Jayden Daniels stood calm in the pocket and found a wide open Dyami Brown in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard score. 

Daniels accounted for 69 of the 92 yards on the drive with his arm and legs.

End of first quarter: Buccaneers 3, Commanders 0

Tampa Bay has a field goal lead after one quarter, thanks in part to a failed fourth down conversion from Washington.

After the Buccaneers opened the contest with a field goal, the Commanders opted to keep the offense on the field instead of the kicking unit on its first drive, and the attempt was unsuccessful. Tampa Bay punted on its next drive and Washington currently is building a drive toward midfield.

Both quarterbacks have gone to their favorite targets early, with Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans connecting on two catches for 34 yards. Meanwhile Terry McLaurin has three catches for 55 yards from Jayden Daniels.

Commanders fail on fourth down conversion attempt

Washington could’ve tried to tie the game early, but instead had a failed fourth down conversion on its opening drive of the night.

On the third play of the drive, Jayden Daniels found favorite target in Terry McLaurin for a tough 35-yard catch to put the Commanders in scoring territory at the Tampa Bay 28-yard line. 

However, Washington wasn’t able to move the sticks further. On a third-and-short, Daniels was unable to run past linebacker J.J. Russell for the first down. The offense stayed on the field, and Daniels could only throw the ball at the feet of Austin Eckler and the ball will go back to Tampa Bay, missing out on a scoring opportunity.

Buccaneers 3, Commanders 0: Tampa Bay opens with field goal

The Buccaneers are on the board to start the Sunday night cap with a 50-yard field goal from Chase McLaughlin.

While fans are wanting to see who will move onto the divisional round, nearly everyone is excited to see Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore renew their heated rivalry. So far, it's Evans getting the best of the Commanders defensive back with two catches for 34 yards, one of which extended the Buccaneers drive.

Tampa Bay got into Washington territory, but consecutive misses from Baker Mayfield to Jalen McMillan stalled the drive.

What time is the Buccaneers vs. Commanders wild-card game?

  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)

The Washington Commanders take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC wild-card playoff game from Tampa's Raymond James Stadium. It kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

Buccaneers vs Commanders TV channel

  • TV channel: NBC

NBC will broadcast the NFL wild-card game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders with Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst) and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) calling the action.

Buccaneers vs Commanders live stream

The NFL wild-card playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders can be streamed on Peacock or you can turn to Fubo, which offers a free trial subscription. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, ABC, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through much of the playoffs.

Watch Buccaneers vs. Commanders on Fubo

Buccaneers vs. Commanders predictions, picks

Paste BN: Experts split on winner

  • Jarrett Bell: Buccaneers
  • Chris Bumbaca: Commanders
  • Nate Davis: Buccaneers
  • Tyler Dragon: Commanders
  • Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz: Buccaneers
  • Lorenzo Reyes: Commanders

The Arizona Republic: Commanders 27, Buccaneers 24

Jeremy Cluff writes, "The Buccaneers beat the Commanders in Week 1 of the season in Tampa Bay, 37-20. A lot has happened since. Washington is on a 5-game win streak, going 12-5 this season and 5-3 on the road. Tampa Bay has won two in a row, but it was 10-7 on the year and only went 5-4 at home. Jayden Daniels will lead the Commanders to a playoff upset."

NEED HELP MAKING PICKS: Today's NFL picks: Unlock exclusive data-driven predictions

Buccaneers vs. Commanders: Wild-card playoff odds

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are favorites to defeat the Washington Commanders, according to BetMGM.

Odds as of afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 12

  • Spread: Buccaneers (-3)
  • Moneyline: Buccaneers (-160); Commanders (+135)
  • Over/under: 51.5

Commanders inactives

  • WR K.J. Osborn
  • QB Jeff Driskel (emergency third QB)
  • S Darrick Forrest
  • CB Michael Davis
  • RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
  • LB Dominique Hampton
  • G Chris Paul

Buccaneers inactives

  • DL C.J. Brewer
  • TE Devin Culp
  • WR Tanner Knue
  • S Ryan Neal
  • G Royce Newman
  • LB Jose Ramirez

Where is the Buccaneers vs. Commanders wild-card game?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Washington Commanders in an NFC wild-card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The venue has a capacity of 75,000 seats.

Raymond James Stadium has hosted three Super Bowls: SB35 (won by the Baltimore Ravens), SB43 (won by the Pittsburgh Steelers) and SB55 (won by the Buccaneers).

Buccaneers vs. Commanders weather updates

The National Weather Service is calling for mostly cloudy skies with a light wind Sunday night in Tampa, Florida. The temperature is expected to be around 55 degrees at kickoff, dropping to the low 50s by the fourth quarter.

Buccaneers vs. Commanders playoff history

Sunday night's wild-card playoff game is the 27th all-time meeting between Washington and Tampa Bay, and the fourth in the postseason.

The Buccaneers have won two of those three previous playoff matchups.

During the 1999 season, Tampa Bay defeated Washington, 14-13, in the divisional playoffs (the Buccaneers lost in the NFC championship game to the St. Louis Rams the next week). During the 2005 season, Washington beat Tampa Bay, 17-10, in the wild-card round. Then, during the 2020 season, Tampa Bay prevailed, 31-23, in the wild-card round en route to winning Super Bowl 55.

NFL playoff schedule

WILD CARD WEEKEND

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

DIVISIONAL ROUND

Saturday, Jan. 18

  • TBD vs. TBD
  • TBD vs. TBD

Sunday, Jan. 19

  • TBD vs. TBD
  • TBD vs. TBD

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sunday, Jan. 26

  • AFC championship game, time TBD (CBS)
  • NFC championship game, time TBD (FOX)

SUPER BOWL 59

Sunday, Feb. 9

  • AFC champion vs. NFC champion (in New Orleans), 6:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

NFL playoff seeds

AFC

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2, AFC West winners, No. 1 seed)
  2. Buffalo Bills (13-4, AFC East winners, No. 2 seed)
  3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5, AFC North winners, No. 3 seed)
  4. Houston Texans (10-7, AFC South winners, No. 4 seed)
  5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6, wild card No. 1, No. 5 seed)
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, wild card No. 2, No. 6 seed)
  7. Denver Broncos (10-7, wild card No. 3, No. 7 seed)

NFC

  1. Detroit Lions (15-2, NFC North winners, No. 1 seed)
  2. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3, NFC East winners, No. 2 seed)
  3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7, NFC South winners, No. 3 seed)
  4. Los Angeles Rams (10-7, NFC West winners, No. 4 seed)
  5. Minnesota Vikings (14-3, wild card No. 1)
  6. Washington Commanders (12-5, wild card No. 2, No. 6 seed)
  7. Green Bay Packers (11-6, wild card No. 3, No. 7 seed)

Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins?

The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six. 

Washington has made five Super Bowl appearances, winning three, most recently in Super Bowl 26 during the 1991 season. Washington also owns two NFL titles from the pre-Super Bowl era (1937, 1942).

The Buccaneers have won in both of their Super Bowl appearances, Super Bowl 37 during the 2002 season and Super Bowl 55 during the 2020 season.

NFL franchises with most Super Bowl wins:

➤ Super Bowl winners: All-time scores, results for NFL title game

NFL draft 2025 order entering Wild Card Weekend:

Here is how the first round of the 2025 NFL draft stacks up entering the wild-card playoff round (order of picks Nos. 19-32 will be decided by playoff results):

  1. Tennessee Titans: 3-14 record; .522 strength of schedule (SOS)
  2. Cleveland Browns: 3-14; .536 SOS
  3. New York Giants: 3-14; .554 SOS
  4. New England Patriots: 4-13; .471 SOS
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-13; .478 SOS
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: 4-13; .540 SOS
  7. New York Jets: 5-12; .495 SOS
  8. Carolina Panthers: 5-12; .498 SOS
  9. New Orleans Saints: 5-12; .505 SOS
  10. Chicago Bears: 5-12; .554 SOS
  11. San Francisco 49ers: 6-11; .564 SOS
  12. Dallas Cowboys: 7-10; .522 SOS
  13. Miami Dolphins: 8-9; .419 SOS
  14. Indianapolis Colts: 8-9; .457 SOS
  15. Atlanta Falcons: 8-9; .519 SOS
  16. Arizona Cardinals: 8-9; .536 SOS
  17. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8; .478 SOS
  18. Seattle Seahawks: 10-7; .498 SOS
  19. Houston Texans: 10-7; .481 SOS
  20. Denver Broncos: 10-7; .502 SOS
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 10-7; .502 SOS
  22. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7; .502 SOS
  23. Los Angeles Rams: 10-7; .505 SOS
  24. Green Bay Packers: 11-6; .533 SOS
  25. Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6; .467 SOS
  26. Washington Commanders: 12-5; .436 SOS
  27. Baltimore Ravens: 12-5; .529 SOS
  28. Minnesota Vikings: 14-3; .474 SOS
  29. Buffalo Bills: 13-4; .467 SOS
  30. Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3; .453 SOS
  31. Kansas City Chiefs: 15-2; .488 SOS
  32. Detroit Lions: 15-2; .519 SOS

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Who is the highest-paid NFL player? 

The NFL's top 18 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the league's highest-paid player before the 2024 season, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million deal. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the first non-quarterback on the highest-paid list after striking a four-year, $140 million contract extension this offseason. 

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