Two of the NFL’s top offenses will battle for a spot in the NFC divisional round when the Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers clash on Sunday night. The NFC South-champion Bucs are slight home favorites.
How to watch Commanders at Buccaneers
Washington (12-5) is the conference’s hottest team with five straight wins, while Tampa Bay (10-7) rode its second-half surge to a fourth straight division title. These teams also opened the season against each other, with the Bucs posting a convincing 37-20 victory way back in Week 1.
Even in defeat, quarterback Jayden Daniels impressed in his first career pro start — highlighted by two rushing touchdowns — and the No. 2 overall pick has played a huge role in the Commanders’ turnaround. He finished his first season sixth in the league in completion rate (69 percent), tied for 10th in touchdown passes (25), and posted a 100.1 passer rating (11th). He also leads his team in rushing with 891 yards, to go along with six scores.
Unlike Daniels, Baker Mayfield may not have received an initial Pro Bowl invitation, but the seven-year veteran (and fellow member of the Heisman Trophy fraternity) is playing the best football of his career. He finished in the top five with career-best showings in passing yards (4,500), touchdown passes (41), completion rate (71.4 percent) and passer rating (106.8), even though he tied for the league lead in interceptions with 16. And while Mayfield is not as dynamic of a dual threat as Daniels, his 378 rushing yards are more than double his previous high-water mark (165 in 2020).
Both Washington and Tampa Bay finished the regular season ranked in the top seven in total offense and scoring offense.
The Commanders favor running the ball more, but the Bucs have been pretty stout on the ground (97.8 rushing yards per game allowed, fourth). Washington must find a way to get Brian Robinson Jr. back on track. The team’s lead running back has totaled 159 rushing yards and no touchdowns in the last four games.
Tampa’s defense will be short-handed in the secondary, with safety Jordan Whitehead out due to injuries suffered in a recent car accident. Additionally, fellow safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and cornerback Jamel Dean are dealing with knee injuries. Winfield is active for Sunday’s game, but Dean is questionable.
As for the Commanders defense, this unit has had trouble stopping the run all season. So even though the Bucs like to sling the ball all over the field, expect them to test the league’s 30th-ranked rushing defense. This means that running back Bucky Irving Jr., who is averaging 5.5 yards per carry over the last four games, could get the opportunity to outshine draft classmate Daniels.
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(Photo of Bucky Irving: Cliff Welch / Getty Images)