The scoreboard operator might need to get a stretch in before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders kick off for their NFC wild-card matchup in Tampa on Sunday night. This game features two of the league’s highest-scoring offenses, with the Buccaneers ranking fourth (29.5 ppg) and the Commanders finishing the season fifth (28.5 ppg) during the regular season. Both clubs are hot entering the postseason as well, with Tampa Bay having won six of seven down the stretch to overcome Atlanta and win the NFC South, and Washington closing the regular season on a five-game winning streak that included toppling the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jayden Daniels is nearly a lock for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdown passes, while also leading the Commanders — and ranking second in the NFL among quarterbacks — in rushing yards with 891. His quarterback counterpart Baker Mayfield also logged some impressive numbers this season with 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes, both career bests for the seventh-year pro.
How to watch Commanders vs. Buccaneers NFC wild-card game
Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Raymond James Stadium | Tampa Channel: NBC Streaming: Peacock, Fubo
Live20 updates
On a 3rd down, late in the first half, Baker Mayfield does WHAT?
If you’re not a Bucs fan, is there a little bit of you that wishes he could be the quarterback for your team?
Zane Gonzalez hits from 52, and Washington leads 10-3
The Commanders have been in control of this game, but they’re only ahead 10-3. They’ve run 34 plays to the Buccaneers’ 16, but there’s 1:52 on the clock and the Bucs have two timeouts before halftime.
Another Bucs penalty is a brutal call
Yaya Diaby sacked Jayden Daniels on a third down, but a defensive holding call in the secondary gave the Commanders a first down, and they’re on the move again and into to Bucs territory. Tampa has been flagged three times for 28 yards, and they’ve all been costly.
Bucs punt after penalty
Baker Mayfield has been OK in the early going, but the Bucs keep getting behind the sticks. A chop block cost the Buccaneers 15 yards, and they were also flagged for a holding penalty that was declined before punting the ball back to Washington. Midway through the 2nd quarter and the Commanders still lead 7-3.
Jayden Daniels hits Dyami Brown for the score
After stopping the bleeding, the Commanders cap a 17-play, 92-yard drive with a touchdown pass. That series took up more than nine minutes and with just under 9:30 to play in the first half, the Commanders have taken a 7-0 lead.
Can the Commanders sign Stitch Duran in the middle of the game? Asking for a friend
Daniels needs the cut man and we’re not even halfway through the bout.
Commanders go for it again near the 20, and pick it up
An inside give to Austin Ekeler gets the 4th and 1 and the Commanders are still on the move, at the 22.
Commanders into Bucs territory to close the 1st quarter
This drive started at their own 8-yard-line, and a third down scramble and throw from Jayden Daniels to Zach Ertz was the catalyst for getting the ball out of the shadow of the goal post. Tampa leads 3-0, but both offenses have shown some rhythm in the early going, despite not reaching the end zone yet.
The Buccaneers hold a 3-0 lead after the first quarter on Sunday night. (AP/Chris O’Meara)
Bucs forced into a punt, but after a first down
Washington survives the 4th down miss, and the game is still 3-0. It’ll need to go the length of the field though, after Jamison Crowder’s fair catch at the 8-yard-line.
Washington turns it over on 4th down gamble
It was 4th and 2 on the 19-yard-line and the Commanders came up short because of an incompletion. Good defense by the Bucs on this play, but perhaps a field goal to match Tampa Bay would have been a good choice?
Bucs take over at their own 19.
The league scooped us on the caption for the first big play of the game
Commanders take over for first series
Jayden Daniels takes over after a record-setting rookie season, setting new NFL marks for completion percentage and rushing yards for a rookie quarterback. Daniels opened his NFL career in Week 1 with a loss, and is looking to help Washington to a measure of revenge.
Chase McLaughlin knocks through a 50-yard field goal
The Bucs’ opening drive stalled in Commanders territory, and it was 3 to open the game for the Bucs. There was an offsides penalty on the play, but coach Todd Bowles elected to not take the points off the board — it would have resulted in a 4th and 2. All points might be important today, with two of the league’s highest-scoring teams in the matchup. Washington was fifth in scoring (28.5 points per game) and Tampa Bay was fourth (29.5 points per game).
Bucs open with the ball and Baker Mayfield finds Mike Evans on the opening play
And it was for a first down, too. Evans became just the second player ever, joining Jerry Rice, with 11-consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons this year, and he’s still among the most productive receivers in the NFL.
Rookie QBs winning playoff games used to be a thing of the past
But Jayden Daniels is actually trying to keep a streak going. Each of the last two seasons (Brock Purdy with the 49ers in 2022-23 and C.J. Stroud with the Texans in 2023-24) a rookie quarterback has won a playoff game. Can the presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year make it three years in a row and get Washington a first playoff win in 19 years?
Bucky Irving is ready for primetime
The rookie running back from Oregon would do well for Tampa Bay if he’s the best offensive rookie in this game — his 1,122 rushing yards led the team this year, to go along with eight touchdowns on the ground. He topped the 100-yard mark in two of Tampa Bay’s last four games and was a major player in the Bucs’ big finish to the year, when Tampa Bay won six of seven to close the regular season.
Buccaneers-Commanders preview: These two teams could put on a show
This one could very well end up being the best game of the day. With Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite Jayden Daniels and Baker Mayfield squaring off, there could be plenty of points scored in prime time tonight.
For more on the Buccaneers-Commanders matchup from Frank Schwab, click here.
Weather forecast for Bucs-Commanders
The nightcap should be solid weather-wise. It’s about 60 degrees in Tampa tonight, where both teams will see mostly cloudy conditions and very light winds.
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Kristin Powell is a writer with Global Affairs Press. She covers politics, health, business, and finance—from the big picture to the nitty-gritty details. She loves writing about topics that are relevant to everyday life, whether it's a new product in the marketplace or a political scandal that's making headlines.
When she's not writing for Global Affairs Press, she spends her time reading, cooking and baking delicious treats for her friends and family.
