On the last play of the game, Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez watched the ball he just kicked from 37-yards out hit the right goal post and fall left within both goal posts for the game-winning field goal and a 23-20 Wild Card Playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
The Commanders head to the NFC Divisional Playoffs to play the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m., EST.
Sunday night’s final moments resembled the games the Commanders have played since they returned from the bye week. It had key players like Commanders rookie phenom Jayden Daniels making clutch plays necessary to pull out a last minute win.
It was that familiar scene with 4:41 remaining in the game. The Commanders had the ball and could use up the clock to win on the final play. That’s exactly what they did.
On third and six at the Commanders 34-yard line, Daniels hit Dyami Brown at the Tampa Bay 45-yard line for a 21-yard gain. Two plays later, Daniels lobbed a screen pass to Austin Ekeler just over the head of Tampa linebacker Yaya Diaby. Ekeler ran for 18 yards, moving the ball into Gonzalez’s field goal range at Tampa Bay’s 27-yard line. Ekeler then took the ball to the 19 after an eight-yard run up the middle and on third and two, Daniels scrambled outside, stiff-armed lineman Calijah Kancey and dove for the first down. The Commanders ran down the clock to three seconds remaining before bringing on Gonzalez for the game winning kick.
A key play in the fourth quarter was a costly mistake by Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield who fumbled an exchange with receiver Jalen McMillan on a sweep at Tampa’s own 11-yard line. The fumble was recovered by Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner at the 13 with the score 17-13 in favor of the Buccaneers.
The Commanders capitalized on the fumble when Daniels hit Terry McLaurin on 5-yard touchdown pass on 4th and 2 with 9:46 remaining in the game putting the Commanders ahead 20-17.
The Buccaneers responded as Mayfield passed to McMillan for 26 yards to the Washington 49-yard line and on third and two at the Washington 41, Baker hit tight end Cade Otten in stride for ac20 yard gain. But after a 9-yard run by Irving to the Washington 12-yard line, Mayfield was stopped for no gain and Irving was dropped for a two-yard loss on a snap that appeared to get to Mayfield before he expected it. The 32-yard field goal by Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin tied the score at 20-20 before the Commanders took a touchback on the kickoff with 4:41 remaining.
Head coach Dan Quinn was much like a man playing with house money taking chances on 4th downs rather than taking advantage of makeable field goals.
After the Buccaneers took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, Daniels drove the Commanders to the Tampa 20 yard line and rather than kick the field goal on 4th and 2, Quinn went for the first down. But Daniels’ pass to Ekeler fell to the ground turning the ball over to the Buccaneers.
However, with 3:34 remaining in the first quarter, the Commanders started a 17 play, 92 yard drive taking more than nine minutes off the clock. A 10-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Brown in the middle of the end zone capped the drive and gave the Commanders a 7-3 lead with 9:31 remaining in the half.
Brown shined in the game with 5 catches for 89 yards and one touchdown. McLaurin ended the game with 7 catches, also for 89 yards and one touchdown.
Daniels who completed 24 of 35 for 268 yards and two touchdowns, drove the offense 11 plays and 37 yards in the second quarter to the Tampa 33-yard line. Gonzalez kicked a 52-yard field goal between the uprights for a 10-3 lead.
Despite his fourth quarter fumble, Mayfield completed 15 of 18 for 185 yards and two touchdowns and showed his leadership. Facing a third and nine at their own 29 yard line, Mayfield took matters into his own hands and bulled through the Commanders defense for 18 yards to the Tampa 47-yard line. The run revived the Buccaneers offense and a pass interference penalty by Marshon Lattimore against Mike Evans later in the drive brought the ball to the Commanders one-yard line. Mayfield fired a one yard pass to Evans for the touchdown and the game was tied at the half at 10-10.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Daniels threw consecutive passes to Brown for 30 yards and 24 yards to help drive the ball to the Tampa Bay three-yard line. Tampa’s defense strengthened, dropping Brian Robinson, Jr., for a one-yard loss and pressuring Daniels on two incomplete passes. This time, Quinn chose to have Gonzalez kick the 22-yard field goal for the 13-10 lead.
Meantime, Evans gave Lattimore and the Commanders defense headaches all night throughout the game. The receiver ended the game with 7 catches for 92 yards. Following the Gonzalez field goal, Mayfield drove the Tampa offense to the 50 yard line and threw short over the middle to Evans on third and four who took the ball to the Washington 32 yard line.
Running back Bucky Irving also made his presence known with a 19-yard run and a 10 yard ramble to the 8-yard line. Another 6-yard run gave the Buccaneers a first and goal at the Washington 2-yard line when Mayfield threw to the right flat for Irving who took the ball into the end zone. Irving’s touchdown catch put Tampa Bay on top 17-13 capping off a 10 play 64-yard drive with 4:31 remaining in the third quarter.
Daniels quickly responded taking the Commanders on a 12 play, 67-yard drive from their own 30 to the Tampa Bay 1 yard line. On 3rd and 10 at the Tampa 23-yard line, a 22-yard pass interference call on Zyon McCollum against Brown in the end zone made it first and goal.
But on fourth and goal at the Tampa 3-yard line, Quinn chose to go for the touchdown rather than the field goal. The pass to Zach Ertz was incomplete despite an apparent interference penalty by Lavonte David on Ertz that was not called.
Still, going for it on 4th downs has been a staple of this season’s Commanders team. Their high proficiency in making fourth downs made the calls less gambles and more calculated risks.
Mayfield and the Buccaneers took over on offense. The quarterback threw to Evans in the right flat and Evans ran to the first down marker stretching out the ball for the first down. On the next play, Mayfield fumbled the ball and Wagner recovered at the Tampa Bay 13-yard line.
The Washington team and fans are getting used to these kinds of last second, nerve-wracking wins as Daniels continues to play with a zen-like poise under pressure.
An earlier hit by McCollum on Daniels running out of bounds looked as if the Commanders quarterback had a gash with blood streaming down his face. It was actually a cut but the calm demeanor of the rookie helped calm down fans watching the game.
And there were plenty of Washington fans at the game traveling to Tampa to see the first playoff win for the Commanders since 1995, not to mention taking in some warmer weather.
Following a Commanders touchdown, television viewers could hear fans singing the fight song and at the end of the game after Daniels made the first down prior to the game winning field goal, fans chanted, “MVP, MVP.”
For this year, however, it will need to stay rookie NFC Pro Bowl quarterback and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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