A first in almost 20 years for Commanders

An entire generation of football fans had never seen an NFL playoff victory for Washington. The endless famine is over.

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The Commanders won 23-20 on a last-second field goal in Tampa against the Buccaneers. It was their first playoff victory since the 2005 season.

True to form, they played on the nerves of their supporters. This time, Zane Gonzalez’s 37-yard field goal went between the goal posts after hitting one of them.

Last week, it was a touchdown pass with three seconds left to beat the Cowboys.

The week before, it was an overtime victory against the Falcons.

On December 22, it was Jamison Crowder, who caught the game-winning pass with six seconds left against the Eagles.

On December 15, it was the defense that resisted a two-point convert attempt by the Saints to win.

Then, obviously, there was the famous “Hail Mary” pass on October 27, in the final moments of a duel against the Bears.

It’s this type of season punctuated by miracles that only continues for the Commanders.

Hotly contested

Speaking of miracles, it took a few more before arriving at the victorious field goal to overcome the Buccaneers.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the offense was held back on a fourth down and the scores. The Bucs took the ball back with a 17-13 lead, but a completely botched exchange between quarterback Baker Mayfield and receiver Jalen McMillan near the line of scrimmage allowed the Commanders to regain the ball.

Four plays later, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels joined Terry McLaurin in the end zone for the touchdown that gave his team the lead. Ironically, this key play came on a fourth down, just to avenge the failure of the previous offensive sequence.

Moreover, the Commanders converted three times on fourth downs in this meeting. Their success rate of 87% this season is unheard of in the league!

The Buccaneers then tied the score with a field goal, but the Commanders spent the remaining 4:41 on the clock advancing down the field until the winning kick.

Three times, the lead changed hands in this match which literally saved the show in a first elimination round where the big duels were not in the spotlight.

A rare phenomenon

Daniels thus became the first rookie quarterback since Russell Wilson, with the Seahawks in 2012, to win a playoff game.

Something very special is really happening with this team that has been cursed for three decades.

He also became the fourth rookie center in history to sign at least 13 victories, including the playoffs, after Dak Prescott (Cowboys, 2016), Joe Flacco (Ravens, 2008) and Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers, 2004).

Daniels shined, but he wasn’t the only one. It was reasonable to wonder how the defense would react against the Buccaneers’ formidable ground game. The Commanders’ running defense was 30th in the league this season and they limited the damage, muzzled their rivals to 101 yards rushing and four yards per carry.

The Commanders play without the slightest pressure. Nobody expected them in the playoffs and even less in the second round. Everything suggests that this is a team we haven’t heard the last of.

For the Buccaneers, despite a fourth straight division championship, this quick exit is a disappointment. Head coach Todd Bowles froze at the end of the match by using his timeouts poorly. Knowing that promising offensive coordinator Liam Cohen is increasingly in demand, could it be time to offer him to take Bowles’ seat?

In the second round, the Commanders will travel to Detroit for a duel against the Lions. For their part, the Eagles will host the winner of Monday night’s game between the Vikings and the Rams. In the American conference, the Chiefs will host the Texans and the Bills will host the Ravens.

THE 3 STARS OF THE MATCH

Jayden Daniels

The Commanders quarterback finished the game with 268 passing yards and two touchdowns. He was also the most productive of his team on the ground with 36 yards rushing. Don’t worry about why the Commanders are transformed this season.

Terry McLaurin

Whenever the Commanders need a big play, McLaurin is the receiver of choice. He was the leader with seven receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Mike Evans

Despite the disappointing final result for the Buccaneers, receiver Mike Evans was solid again with seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. He made short work of cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who is one of the few Commanders players who fell short.