The moment should have been stressful: Washington, visiting in the NFL playoffs, faced third-and-1 with a chance to win the game.
However, during a brief pause in the game, with just 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was seen laughing on the field while talking to Tampa Bay defenders on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
During a superlative rookie season, Daniels has rarely seemed bothered by a big stage. From his Hail Mary touchdown to beat Chicago to his 12 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime (the most ever by a rookie quarterback), Daniels has repeatedly produced in improbable ways that belie his lack of experience. .
That continued Sunday in Tampa Bay.
After chatting with Buccaneers defenders, Daniels converted that crucial third down in the final minute, setting up Washington’s game-winning 37-yard field goal to beat Tampa Bay, 23-20. As time expired, Zane Gonzalez’s kick bounced off the right post, ending a back-and-forth game with five lead changes and five valiant fourth-down attempts by the Commanders.
The Commanders now advance to the divisional round of the postseason facing NFC top seed Detroit. The victory was Washington’s first in the playoffs since the 2005 season. Daniels was only 5 years old then; On Sunday he became just the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win on the road in a playoff debut by completing 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for a team-high 36 yards. .
Baker Mayfield threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns for Tampa, but his fumble in the fourth quarter led to a Washington touchdown that put them ahead 20-17. He never lost leadership again.
It was the final game of a day in which Buffalo and Philadelphia also advanced to the divisional round of next week’s playoffs.
The Bills remained undefeated at home this season by easily dispatching Denver, 31-7. Josh Allen threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Neither team turned the ball over, but while the Broncos missed a field goal, Buffalo was a perfect 3-for-3.
Green Bay struggled early in its 22-10 loss at Philadelphia, fumbling the opening kickoff in the Packers’ first of four turnovers. They included three interceptions thrown by quarterback Jordan Love. Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts didn’t seem upset after missing his previous two games under concussion protocol, and Saquon Barkley added 119 rushing yards.
Two other teams booked their tickets to the divisional round on Saturday: Houston, thanks to an incredible defensive effort with four interceptions by Justin Herbert, and Baltimore, thanks to the continued dominance on the field by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
