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Buccaneers-Commanders preview: These two teams could put on a show

frank schwab
Senior writer
·3-min read

NBC might end up looking smart with its pick for Sunday night's game.

The Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers game will feature Jayden Daniels, the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite off a historic season, and Baker Mayfield, who threw for 41 touchdowns. The Buccaneers had the second-highest scoring offense in the NFC and the Commanders were third, with both trailing only the Detroit Lions.

There could be plenty of points scored in prime time on Sunday.

Raymond James Stadium

Sunday, 8 p.m. ET

The game will be broadcast by NBC and streamed live on Peacock. It will also be on Universo.

The Buccaneers are 3-point favorites at BetMGM. It shouldn't be much surprise that the total is the highest on the board for wild-card weekend, at 50.5 points.

Mike Evans was one of the best stories of Week 18. On the final play of the game vs. the Saints, the Bucs got Evans the catch he needed to reach 1,000 yards for the season, securing his 11th straight 1,000-yard season to tie Jerry Rice's NFL record. But the real difference in the offense lately might be Jalen McMillan. The rookie third-round pick had 316 of his 461 yards and seven of his eight touchdowns in the final five games of the season. Evans is a great receiver and we know he'll produce for the Bucs. Finding a second WR option to replace injured Chris Godwin was a must, and McMillan looks like that answer. It also would help if tight end Cade Otton can return from a knee injury.

(Yahoo Sports/Grant Thomas)
(Yahoo Sports/Grant Thomas)

It's a lot to ask a rookie quarterback to carry a team to a road playoff win, but Jayden Daniels is not an ordinary rookie. Daniels was one of the best rookie quarterbacks in NFL history. It's hard to find a QB who is supremely dangerous as a runner and also an advanced passer. Daniels was both. He set a rookie quarterback record with 891 rushing yards, which led the Commanders. He also had a 100.1 passer rating, which was fourth all-time among rookies. The Commanders' path to a win is simple: If Daniels plays like the superstar he was all season, they have a good shot. The Commanders are one of the rare teams that can feel good about that plan with a rookie quarterback.

For as good as Baker Mayfield was this season, he'll still make mistakes. Mayfield led the NFL with 16 interceptions. He led all NFL quarterbacks (minimum of 400 dropbacks) with 25 turnover-worthy plays, via Pro Football Focus. The Buccaneers have overcome Mayfield's worst games when it comes to turnovers — the Buccaneers were 3-2 when Mayfield threw multiple interceptions this season — but it's not the best plan of action. If Mayfield can play a mistake-free game, it increases Tampa Bay's chances of moving on.

The Buccaneers have a fun offense. Rookie running back Bucky Irving came alive in the second half of the season. Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan and (if he's healthy) Cade Otton can all make plays. The Commanders are one of the NFL's most efficient offenses too, relying heavily on the precocious Jayden Daniels. Washington won five in a row to end the season but just about all of them were near escapes in close games. Tampa Bay's season mirrors last season, when the Bucs were playing very well down the stretch and easily beat an NFC playoff team, the Philadelphia Eagles, in a prime-time wild-card game. Washington is good and clearly on the rise, but for now the Buccaneers are barely better. Buccaneers 35, Commanders 31