The Washington Commanders’ playoff destination is set. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South in Week 18 by beating the New Orleans Saints, and they will host the Commanders on Wild Card weekend.
This will be a rematch from Week 1, when the Bucs dominated Washington 37-20. In the win, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. Star wide receiver Mike Evans caught two touchdowns in the season opener.
On the other side, Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards in his first NFL start. Daniels rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay, but offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury kept it safe with the passing game.
Things changed the following week when the Commanders defeated the New York Giants. While Washington did not score a touchdown, Kingsbury continued to open up the offense, and Daniels flourished. The Commanders finished the 2024 season with a 12-5 record and the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Commanders finished the 2024 regular season with a 23-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys — their fifth in a row. The 12 wins are Washington’s most since 1991 when the franchise won its last Super Bowl.
The Commanders’ defense looks a bit different than it did in Week 1. Emmanuel Forbes is gone from the secondary, and Washington traded for Evans’ No. 1 nemesis, Marshon Lattimore. Unfortunately for the Commanders, Lattimore missed six of his eight games for Washington after the trade, including the final two regular-season games.
