The Washington Commanders won a playoff game on Sunday night for the first time since 2005.
The Commanders went down to Tampa Bay to take on the NFC South-winning Buccaneers and escaped with a 23-20 victory. Zane Gonzalez had the game-winning 37-yard field goal, and now the Commanders will prepare to take on the Detroit Lions in the divisional round.
The Commanders started slowly, scoring zero points in the first quarter. At the half, the teams were tied at 10, and the Bucs led 17-13 heading into the fourth.
A turnover by the Washington defense and a clutch final drive from Jayden Daniels, however, set the Commanders up for the win. Now, let’s identify the studs and duds from this playoff win.
Stud: QB Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels could be a stud almost every single week. In the rookie phenom’s first playoff game, the QB played about as well as could be expected.
Daniels threw for 268 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The QB also ran for 36 yards and was the team’s leading rusher.
Daniels marched his team down the field to set up the game-winning FG attempt. It was an impressive drive from the rookie, who looked like a seasoned vet. This team is special, and Daniels never seemed like the moment was too big.
Dud: RB Brian Robinson Jr.
Once again, Brian Robinson Jr. failed to deliver for the Commanders. The running back received 10 carries but only turned those opportunities into 16 yards.
Daniels led the team in rushing yards, and he only had 36. Sure, the rookie is incredible, but at some point, the lack of an effective run game will hurt this team. Robinson has to be better.
Stud: WR Dyami Brown
Dyami Brown picked the perfect time to have an outstanding performance. The receiver ended the night with five catches for 89 yards and one TD.
It was the second-highest yardage total of Brown’s career and his best game of the season by far. Zach Ertz and Olamide Zaccheaus didn’t make much of an impact, and Brown took advantage of his opportunities.
Dud: DL Daron Payne
Daron Payne is one of the best defensive linemen in the league at his best. Unfortunately, the DL was not at his best in the playoffs.
Payne collected just one tackle on the night and didn’t record a sack or tackle for loss. The Alabama product had to leave the game with a finger injury at one point, so it will be interesting to see if he is ready to go against Detroit.
Stud: LB Bobby Wagner
Bobby Wagner is the type of player you want on your team in January. The veteran linebacker came up huge, leading the team with eight tackles and also adding 0.5 sacks, one quarterback hit, and recovering a fumble.
Wagner’s leadership has been evident all year, but that really shined on Sunday night. Wagner’s fumble recovery ended up changing the game and was one of the biggest plays of the year.
Stud: WR Terry McLaurin
Is there anybody who deserved this win more than Scary Terry? The WR has never complained during his time on some lousy teams in Washington, and now it’s paying off.
McLaurin caught seven passes for 89 yards and one TD, tying Brown for the team lead in yards. The wide receiver was consistently open for his rookie quarterback and will remain a go-to target against Detroit.
Dud: CB Marshon Lattimore
There was a lot of hype surrounding Lattimore’s matchup against his archrival Evans. Evans dominated Lattimore in the first half, including on a touchdown catch. Evans was mostly quiet in the second half as rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil took turns in coverage against him. The good news is both Lattimore and Evans were on their best behavior. Washington needs more from Lattimore next week against the Lions.
