TAMPA -- The Washington Commanders have stood up time and time again this season in pressure-filled situations when most of the NFL world predicted they'd crumble.
However, entering this weekend's Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Commanders are underdogs but not being slept on as much as they would have been had this game been predicted in early September.
With more belief behind them but the home crowd against them, it was the defensive unit that got the game started for Washington after the Buccaneers won the coin toss and chose to receive.
The differences in head coaches was evident early in this one. On the first Tampa Bay possession of the night kicker Chase McLaughlin made a 50-yard field goal. A flag on the play on the Commanders threatened to make it 4th and 2 and would give the Bucs a chance to continue their drive in search of a touchdown. Head coach Todd Bowles declined the penalty, however, and opted to keep the points.
On the Commanders' first drive of the game, facing 4th and 2 the old-fashioned way, head coach Dan Quinn opted to go for it. Unfortunately, the attempt failed and the Buccaneers kept their 3-0 lead.
While the first attempt failed, the second was successful, and ultimately led to a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jayden Daniels to receiver Dyami Brown giving Washington its first lead of the night.
The Commanders' defense didn't see much action in the second quarter, thanks to Daniels and the offense's domination of the game clock. With two minutes left in the half, Washington had held the ball a total of 18 minutes and 20 seconds in the first 28.
Keeping the opposing offense off the field is a good way to keep them off the score board, and putting up points on two of their own first three possessions proved effective as well as the Commanders took a 10-3 lead over the Buccaneers with less than two minutes remaining in the half getting the ball back to start the second.
As you'd expect, Tampa Bay wouldn't go away quietly into the half and with 17 seconds remaining before halftime had the ball down at the Washington 12 yard line looking to tie the game before the break.
Much to the frustration of cornerback Marshon Lattimore who was yelling at officials to throw a flag on Bucs receiver Mike Evans for pushing off and pulling the defender into him drawing a penalty, quarterback Baker Mayfield was able to find his receiver for a one-yard touchdown pass with just 10 seconds left in the half. The extra point was good and tied the score at 10 each.
That is our score heading into halftime, and the Commanders will receive the ball to start the second half.
If Washington pulls out a victory tonight it will travel to face the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
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