Dan Quinn Reveals Emotion During Final Kick in Commanders-Buccaneers

The Washington Commanders are advancing to the Divisional Round, though not without a bit of a scare for Dan Quinn in Wild Card Weekend.
Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn during the fourth quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn during the fourth quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders are on to the Divisional Round of the playoffs after a nerve-racking contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The two squads played in a Week 1 rematch in Wild Card Weekend, and it lived up to the hype.

The Commanders secured a 23-20 win over the Buccaneers with time expiring. Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the squad to a key victory while showing incredible poise for a first-year player.

It all came down to a last-second field goal, though, as the Commanders were well-positioned to win the game with no time on the clock. Daniels was able to wind the clock down while getting the squad into good field positioning, though Zane Gonzalez had to ultimately come through with a made field goal.

Instead of giving fans peace of mind with a simple make, Gonzalez had a doink off the right upright, though it fell through and gave the Commanders a win. Washington head coach Dan Quinn revealed his emotional state during the kick.

"I felt like I was in a Bounty commercial where the cup spills. And, like, ‘nooooo!’" Quinn joked. "And as it hit and went through, I just paused and probably skipped a beat, but that's the emotion where it was at. We put it on the left and was thankful to knock it through. But it was definitely a long 8-9 second field goal."

The field goal might have taken a while to go through the uprights, but it sent the Commanders to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. They'll extend their 12-win season as they take on the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions on the road in what will be an incredibly tough matchup.


READ MORE: Commanders Get Unexpected Boost in Win vs. Buccaneers

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More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders Learned From Lessons in Win vs. Buccaneers

• Commanders Share Thoughts as Game-Winning Field Goal Doinked In

• Commanders' Offensive Efficiency Matched Previous Super Bowl Contenders

• 3 Stars from Commanders Wild Card Win Over the Buccaneers


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Kade Kimble
KADE KIMBLE

Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's FanNation in 2022.