Wildcard Playoffs
Washington Commanders (12-5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
Nuts & Bolts
Date: January 12, 2025
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Raymond James Stadium - Tampa Bay, FL
How to Watch: NBC
Matchup History: Washington leads all-time series 12-11
Last Meeting: Tampa Bay def. Washington 37-20 on 9/8/24
Betting Lines: Via DraftKings
Spread: Washington +3
Over/Under: 50.5
Prediction: Washington 26, Tampa Bay 27
Official Game Notes: HERE
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Head Coach: Dan Quinn (1st season, 12-5 record in Washington)
Record: 12-5 (4-2, 2nd in NFC East)
Last Time Out: Won @ Dallas 23-19 on 1/5/25
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Jayden Daniels
The Washington Commanders will ride its longest winning streak of the season into a Sunday night playoff matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a rematch of Week 1 of this season.
A lot has happened between now and then. Washington is perhaps the biggest surprise team in the postseason, earning a wildcard spot after a 12-5 record and finishing second in the NFC East behind Philadelphia.
The biggest reason Washington finds itself in this position is the emergence of 2024 #2 overall draft pick Jayden Daniels. The rookie QB out of LSU has been sensational, throwing for over 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also finished 23rd in the league in rushing with 891 yards and 6 rushing scores, just 24 yards behind Lamar Jackson for 2nd among quarterbacks.
Now, the Commanders travel to the same stadium where they started the season to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In that Week 1 game, Washington fell 37-20 as Jayden Daniels rushed for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns in his league debut. The Commanders also dealt with two long drives which resulted in missed field goals that day by Cade York, who was subsequently released before Week 2.
Washington did well to not turn the ball over in that game and also matched the Buc’s with 22 first downs.
If they want better luck in the return trip to Tampa, it’s going to have to start on the defensive side of the ball, where Dan Quinn’s touch has undoubtedly made a difference since that Week1 loss.
If the Commanders can once again take care of the football, control possession, and slow down Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense, there’s no reason they won’t end up in Detroit next weekend to take on the top-seeded Lions.
Head Coach: Todd Bowles (3rd season, 27-24 record in Tampa Bay)
Record: 10-7 (4-2, 1st in NFC South)
Last Time Out: Won vs. New Orleans 27-19 on 1/5/25
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Baker Mayfield
For the fourth consecutive season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took home the NFC South Division title.
To many, the NFC South is considered the NFL’s weakest division, consisting of the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons in addition to the Bucs.
However, it’s hard to argue with four division championships in a row. Especially when the team has won a playoff game in two of those three seasons.
What’s consistent to years prior is the lack of chatter surrounding this Buccaneers team as a serious contender to win the Super Bowl.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been one of the best in the league at his position this year, finishing with 4,500 passing yards, good for 3rd in the league, along with 41 touchdowns, tied for the second-most in football.
Where he struggled was taking care of the football. Mayfield threw a league-high 16 interceptions, leading to a -5 turnover ratio for Tampa Bay, the worst of all playoff teams.
One of the main keys for Tampa Bay’s success on Sunday night lies with receiver Mike Evans. The 31 year old receiver has tied Jerry Rice with 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards to start a career, racking up a career-low 1,004 yards in 2024-25.
He’ll be going up against Commanders Cornerback Marshon Lattimore on Sunday; the two have a lot of history with Lattimore spending his entire career up until this season’s trade deadline in New Orleans.
For a Tampa team that was inconsistent for the first half of the season, starting 4-6, they’ve been able to really turn things around over the last several weeks of the year, finishing out the regular season 6-1 after that 4-6 start.
During that stretch, the Bucs beat just one playoff team (LA Chargers), but scored an average of 32 points per game over the final seven games.
If they score 32 on Sunday, they’ll be in prime position to win and advance to next weekend’s divisional round.
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