Tampa Bay Has One Big Advantage in Buccaneers-Commanders Wild Card Game

There are plenty of compelling storylines to follow in this Week 1 rematch between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders.
Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) runs with the ball against the Carolina Panthers in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) runs with the ball against the Carolina Panthers in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first playoff game of 2024 just around the corner, the anticipation continues to build.

Bucs-Commanders represents a great matchup between two teams with plenty of similarities. Both teams struggle on the defensive side of the ball but possess the ability to light up the scoreboard on offense. Led by experienced head coaches, sharp, young offensive coordinators, and a good combination of established veterans and young stars, the outcome of this matchup could go either way.

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NFL.com recently took a closer examination of this intriguing matchup and came up with three specific things to watch for when the Commanders travel to Raymond James Stadium to take on the Buccaneers. There was one, however, that could end up being a big key for a Buccaneers victory — Tampa Bay's running game.

After years of ineptitude in terms of running the football, the arrival of Bucky Irving combined with the emergence of a high quality offensive line and a creative run-designer in Liam Coen has led to the Buccaneers establishing themselves as one of the best rushing teams in the entire league.

For the Commanders, stopping the run is a weakness. As a result, this will be a massive element of the game that the Bucs need to capitalize on if they hope to advance to the divisional round playoffs like they did a year ago.

Here's a little bit of what writer Coral Smith had to say about Tampa Bay's big advantage here:

"Washington allowed the third-most rushing yards per game (137.5) this season, and on seven occasions has allowed at least 150 yards to opponents. This will be a matchup the Buccaneers will want to exploit, especially with the comparatively more even matchup between Tampa Bay’s passing offense and Washington’s pass defense, which each rank third in yards per game."

The Buccaneers will face off against the Washington Commanders at 8 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.


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Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.