Commander Country

Commanders Walk-Off Wins Played Key Role in Playoff Victory

The Washington Commanders know how to win games late.
Jeremy Brener|
Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders place kicker Zane Gonzalez (47) kicks the game-wining field goal out of the hold of punter Tress Way (10) during the fourth quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders place kicker Zane Gonzalez (47) kicks the game-wining field goal out of the hold of punter Tress Way (10) during the fourth quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders have had a tendency to show up in the clutch this season.

Dating back to Week 2 against the New York Giants, the Commanders won six games (half of their wins in the regular season) on a game-defining play in the final moments. The win on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was no different, marking the seventh victory on a late play this season.

Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner believes that the team's experience in those spots helped them build confidence for when it came up again as they played the Bucs.

“I think it’s the camaraderie," Wagner said postgame, "I think it’s the brotherhood. I feel like we’ve been tested throughout the year like you said. We had moments where we were up, we had moment where we were down and I think all those tests have allowed us to build that confidence especially for a group that’s first playing together, especially for young players that we have that are playing really big minutes so all these wins are good for our experience and makes it fun for us.”

Those feelings were also shared by wide receiver Dyami Brown, who had five catches, 89 yards and a touchdown in the win.

“We always preach ‘finish’. We always want to finish in the big-time moments, any type of situation – we work on those things daily. And just to be able to control the clock at the end and have control to be able to finish the way we did – we’re good," Brown said postgame.

Now, the Commanders will look to win another potentially close game on Saturday when they visit the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

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

• Commanders Rookie Jayden Daniels Makes History in Win vs. Buccaneers

• Commanders Learned From Lessons in Win vs. Buccaneers

• Commanders' Offensive Efficiency Matched Previous Super Bowl Contenders

• 3 Stars from Commanders Wild Card Win Over the Buccaneers

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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