The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fought valiantly, but penalties and miscuses ended their season before they could advance.
The Buccaneers lost their Wild Card game to the Washington Commanders 23-20 on Sunday, failing to advance in the NFC playoffs. The Buccaneers will now stay home for the rest of the playoffs while the Commanders will go on to face the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.
Tampa Bay opened up proceedings with a field goal, putting it up 3-0 on Washington. The Commanders went for it on fourth down deep in Bucs territory and didn’t convert, but the Buccaneers weren’t able to punish them for it and punted it away at midfield. The Commanders were at midfield and driving when the first quarter ended.
The Commanders extended their drive and made the most of it when Jayden Daniels hit Dyami Brown for six points, putting them up 7-3. The Bucs punted on their next offensive drive, and the Commanders led a five-minute drive to score three, putting them up further 10-3. The Bucs struck back and tied it up to end the half, however, as Mike Evans dominated Marshon Lattimore for a touchdown to put the Bucs back in it at 10-10.
The Commanders drove down inside the five to start the half, but they were forced to kick, moving up 13-10, but Tampa Bay would take the lead back after a one-yard dumpoff to Bucky Irving went for six. The Commanders set up for their next drive down 17-13, and they went on another backbreaking drive that extended to the end of the third quarter.
The Commanders got all the way inside the 10-yard line but went for it on fourth down and missed it. The Bucs started moving the ball to capitalize, but Baker Mayfield botched a handoff and fumbled — the Commanders recovered and made Tampa Bay pay, going up 20-17 after a Terry McLaurin touchdown. The Bucs responded with a long drive of their own, but couldn’t get in the end zone, tying it up at 20. The Commanders led a very long drive again, and the Bucs were entirely unable to get them off the field, causing them to hit the game-winning field goal with less than a minute left to play.
With the loss, Tampa Bay will officially move on to the 2025 season in an effort to win the NFC South for the fifth season in a row.
