Commanders Learned From Lessons in Win vs. Buccaneers

The Washington Commanders drew upon their experiences to help beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 13, 2025

Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (30) runs against Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) during the fourth quarter of a NFC wild card playoff at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders showed growth in their 23-20 Wild Card win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The win, which came in the same place where the Commanders lost in Week 1, shows that the team that walked off the field last night was far different (and better) than the one that walked on at Raymond James Stadium at the beginning of the season.

"This was 100 percent the battle we expected," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said postgame.

"Coming back here 18 weeks ago, they beat us, and it wasn't even as close as the score indicated. And so, for us to show the improvement that we've made in that time was significant for us.

"This is a really good team in Tampa. And we knew it would go down all the way to the wire. We talked about overtime and we talked about all the winning-time moments all week."

The clutch moments from the past four weeks that led to wins in the final minute of games was proof that those opportunities helped prepare and shape the Commanders for the future, and without those, it's uncertain as to whether they advance to the Divisional Round.

Now, the Commanders will draw upon those experiences once again next weekend as they face off against the Detroit Lions.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

More Washington Commanders News

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• Commanders' Offensive Efficiency Matched Previous Super Bowl Contenders

• 3 Stars from Commanders Wild Card Win Over the Buccaneers

Published Jan 13, 2025

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.