The Washington Commanders are on their way to the divisional round for the first time since the 2005 season thanks to Sunday’s 23-20 wild-card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It came down to a game-winning 37-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez that doinked in off the right upright as time expired.
Here are some takeaways from the Commanders’ win.
Kneejerk reaction: Finally a competitive game this postseason
Football fans, as a collective group, owe a huge thank you to the Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for finally giving us a competitive game on wild-card weekend.
After the first four games were all double-digit blowouts, none of which seemed even remotely competitive, the Commanders and Buccaneers played a thrilling, close game that came down to the wire. It is what you want to see from an NFL playoff game as both quarterbacks (Jayden Daniels and Baker Mayfield) had strong moments, there was good defense, big-time coaching decisions (like Washington’s Dan Quinn consistently going for it on fourth down) and tense moments.
It also came down to literal inches at the buzzer as Gonzalez’s field goal doinked its way through the uprights.
Everything you could want in a playoff game.
Game MVP: Jayden Daniels, quarterback, Washington Commanders
The real story of this game was Washington’s rookie quarterback sensation playing like, well, anything but a rookie.
Daniels looked like a seasoned pro in his first taste of playoff action, completing 24-of-35 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and also running for 36 yards on 13 carries.
That included a game-winning drive to set up the Commanders’ winning field goal.
On that drive he showed off his athleticism and ability to make plays with his feet in one of the biggest possible situations. With the Commanders facing a 3rd-and-2 with under a minute to play in the fourth quarter, Washington put the ball in Daniels’ hands and allowed him to make a play.
