Commanders leading Buccaneers 20-17 in fourth quarter

Tampa can’t take advantage of its goal-line stand after Baker Mayfield’s attempted handoff to receiver Jalen McMillan fell to the ground and Washington recovered only 13 yards from the end zone.

Washington had first-and-goal just one yard from the end zone but could not score in a huge defensive stand by the Buccaneers. Washington’s play calls:

First down: An incomplete pass short and to the right

Second down: A loss of two on a rush

Third down: An incomplete pass through traffic over the middle

Fourth down: Another incompletion aimed over the middle when Daniels’s intended receiver was blocked by a linebacker on his route.

It’s no secret Washington takes risks on fourth down, but never once did Washington get out of the shotgun formation. Did that just bite the Commanders?

The control Washington seemed to have on this game during the first half, as it grew a sizable advantage in time of possession, plays run and yards gained, dissipated in the third quarter.

Tampa outscored Washington, 7-3, in the quarter, and is now 2-for-2 scoring in the red zone tonight. Don’t be surprised if Baker Mayfield continues to target the uber-dependable veteran Mike Evans (six catches, 84 yards) in crunch time.

In what has already become the most back-and-forth game of wild-card weekend, Tampa forges the third lead change of the game with 4:31 to go in the third quarter.

Running back Bucky Irving slipped out of the backfield on a pass route, all alone, and Baker Mayfield found him for a four-yard touchdown and a 17-13 lead. Remember when Tampa started 1-for-4 on third down? It is 2-for-2 since, including a key conversion on that drive.

Zane Gonzalez makes his second field goal of the night, this time from 22 yards, to push Washington ahead, 13-10, with 10:30 to go in the third quarter.

Something to watch for is how successful offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will be at targeting Tampa’s injury-depleted secondary. The Bucs allowed 243 passing yards per game, fourth-most in the NFL; in barely more than a half of football, Tampa has already given up 170 to Daniels.

The first half was largely controlled by Washington, but Tampa gained momentum entering halftime, tied 10-10, after Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown pass to Mike Evans that was placed in quite possibly the only place where it could have been completed. Only 10 seconds remained in the first half. That drive went 74 yards in seven plays and was the answer the Buccaneers desperately needed after a mostly futile first half on offense.

Jayden Daniels finished the first half 11-of-16 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown, with 30 yards rushing, as well. Baker Mayfield, meanwhile, is 9-of-12 for 108 yards and a touchdown with 21 rushing yards.

After this remarkable run, it’s true.

The Commanders take a 10-3 lead with 1:52 to play in the first half after Zane Gonzalez booted a 52-yard field goal. The contrast between these offenses is nearly comical: Washington has run 34 plays to Tampa’s 16, has gained 171 yards to Tampa’s 86, and with 18:25 of possession, has virtually doubled Tampa in that category. Can Baker Mayfield produce a quick strike before halftime?

Tampa followed Washington’s marathon scoring drive with a quick three-and-out. The Buccaneers punt after gaining just one yard before ultimately punting. It should be noted that Tampa is 1-of-4 on third downs so far. Washington gets the ball back with 7:20 to go before halftime.

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels didn’t look confident on his opening drive, but has appeared to transform into a playoff veteran just minutes later. On the Commanders’ second drive, Daniels saw Tampa try to fool him with multiple blitzers, then drop eight men into coverage, and passed every test before finding Dyami Brown open for a 10-yard touchdown and 7-3 lead.

The drive lasted 17 plays, traveled 92 yards and lasted — and this is not a misprint — 9:08 of game time. Daniels is now 9-of-12 passing for 97 yards, and his team has converted four of its six third-down opportunities.

Only three rookie quarterbacks have ever won a playoff game on the road:

• Joe Flacco, with Baltimore in 2008
• Mark Sanchez, with the Jets in 2009
• Russell Wilson, with the Seahawks in 2012

That’s the select company Washington’s Jayden Daniels is trying to join tonight in Tampa. Denver’s Bo Nix had the same opportunity but the Broncos lost today at Buffalo.

Baker Mayfield has completed 3-of-5 passes so far for 49 yards overall, but on the second drive, Tampa leaned heavily on the run, with five of the six plays on the possession staying on the ground. With Washington able to stop Bucky Irving, that wasn’t enough to get more points, and led to a punt.

The Commanders wanted to set an aggressive tone by going for it on fourth down on their first drive, but will Washington regret that choice later?

Jayden Daniels couldn’t complete his pass to Austin Ekeler, the ball thrown toward the back’s feet. Instead of trying a reasonable field goal from Tampa’s 20-yard line, the Commanders get nothing, and Tampa takes over.

The Buccaneers get on the scoreboard first with a 50-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin to take a 3-0 lead on Washington. Their opening drive went eight plays and 38 yards.

Both Washington and Tampa Bay have reached the postseason thanks to superlative performances by rookie playmakers.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels needs little introduction, of course, after a season that has made him the odds-on favorite to win offensive rookie of the year. He ranked first among rookie quarterbacks in completion percentage (69%), passer rating (100.1), passing yards (3,568) and was second in touchdowns (25). Only Justin Herbert, Baker Mayfield, Russell Wilson, Peyton Manning and fellow rookie Bo Nix, of Denver, have thrown for 25-plus touchdowns as a rookie.

But don’t overlook Bucky Irving, the Tampa running back who was drafted in the fourth round, well after Daniels went second overall. Irving was the sixth running back drafted but finished with a rookie-leading 1,122 rushing yards, 1,514 yards from scrimmage and eight rushing touchdowns.

Daniels is going to have a great opportunity to put up numbers for the Commanders. The Buccaneers had the fourth-worst passing defense in the NFL in the regular season, and they played in a few shootouts this year. Combine that with Daniels’ rushing ability — and how much Washington relies on him generally — I’m expecting him to have a big performance numbers-wise in a back-and-forth affair. 

The live blog continues with Washington’s visit to Tampa Bay for the final game of today’s wild-card action. The Commanders are coming off a season where they have won their most games since 1991. Amazingly, the franchise’s last playoff win came in this same stadium back in 2006. Things have certainly changed since Mark Brunell led Washington to that playoff win.

Jordan Love’s deep, desperate throw into double coverage was intercepted with 1:51 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Philadelphia subsequently ran out the clock on a 22-10 victory in the wild-card round.

Quinyon Mitchell caught the under-thrown pass for Love’s third interception of the game. Love was 20-of-33 passing today for 212 yards, which wasn’t good enough to beat a Philadelphia defense that was by no means perfect. His counterpart, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, finished 13-for-21 with two touchdowns and 131 yards. Saquon Barkley finishes with 119 yards on 25 carries for Philadelphia.

A 32-yard field goal by Jake Elliott with 3:12 left in the fourth quarter extends Philadelphia’s lead to 22-10. The Eagles ran 1:46 off the clock and are in sight of advancing to the divisional round.

Needing two scores to take the lead and little time to do it remaining in the fourth quarter, Green Bay had to go for it on fourth-and-3 with 4:58 left in regulation. Jordan Love found an open receiver, too — but Malik Heath couldn’t get two feet in bounds, and the turnover on downs gave the ball back to Philadelphia. To protect their 19-10 lead the Eagles, of course, will now give the ball to Saquon Barkley and run off as much time as possible.

Jake Elliott makes a 30-yard field goal for Philadelphia with 7:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, making this a two-score game for the Eagles. They have not played well, yet considering how much of a struggle offense has been for the Packers, requiring Green Bay to get two scores in the final seven minutes is a big hill to climb.

The Packers are back in this game, now down 16-10 after a pair of superlative runs by Josh Jacobs, who finishes off his long run with a 1-yard touchdown scamper that saw him run through yet another defender.

Jacobs has 81 yards on 18 carries today and has scored a rushing touchdown in nine consecutive games.

Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs just produced one of the best, most physical runs you’ll ever see in a playoff game, going 32 yards through the line and multiple would-be defenders before finally coming up just short of the end zone.

Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed was helped off the field after taking a big hit on a 13-yard reception. Reed was hit on the right arm by safety Reed Blankenship and immediately went down in pain. He was helped off the field with trainers examining his arm.

Green Bay is already without its top two receivers after Christian Watson tore his ACL in Week 18 and Romeo Doubs left today’s game with a concussion.

Two stiff-arms and 24 yards later, Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert turned a second-and-1 situation into a touchdown for the Eagles. Goedert made an incredible adjustment just to catch the football and turn upfield initially, but then avoided tackles en route to a 16-3 Eagles lead with 3:20 left in the third quarter. The Eagles missed the point-after attempt.

Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs is being evaluated for a concussion after slamming his head against the grass on an attempted catch in the end zone. Doubs was on the field for a while before he was taken back to the locker room.

Doubs suffered a concussion earlier this season, and was wearing a guardian cap over his helmet when his head hit the ground.

After a six-minute drive, the Packers settle a field goal from Brandon McManus to cut Philadelphia’s lead to 10-3 with 5:46 left in the third quarter.

The Packers were fortunate to be in range, but a pass interference penalty earlier in the drive moved them 24 yards into the red zone. Ultimately, Jordan Love couldn’t connect with his receivers.

The Packers are evaluating top wideout Romeo Doubs for a concussion.

The Eagles’ offensive struggles since the end of the first quarter have led to boos from their own fans. If you’re keeping score, that is four consecutive drives without points for Philadelphia. Jalen Hurts has missed each of his last seven pass attempts, and Saquon Barkley is being bottled up by the Packers defense.

In a game that hasn’t been as one-sided as the scoreboard would indicate, Philadelphia has taken advantage of Green Bay’s multiple miscues and a 10-0 halftime lead.

Green Bay has thrown two interceptions, lost one fumble and missed a chip-shot field goal, but the Eagles haven’t run away with this game quite yet. Jalen Hurts started 5-for-5 passing, but now is just 6-for-13; Saquon Barkley is averaging a healthy 6.4 yards per rush.

While the Packers have struggled offensively, failing to move the ball on the ground and with Jordan Love throwing two interceptions, the Eagles haven’t been too much better themselves.

Jalen Hurts is only 6 of 13 for 39 yards passing. The running game has been solid with 89 yards on 13 carries, but Philly has only one more first down than Green Bay (7 to 6) and is 1 of 6 on third-down attempts.

Even the Eagles’ touchdown was a product of a very short field following a special teams turnover. Since kicking a field goal in the first quarter, Philly’s last three drives have been three-and-outs.

The defenses have come to play today. Still, the game is there for the taking for whichever offense can find a rhythm in the second half.

Eagles linebacker Zack Baun just ended yet another Packers drive by intercepting Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love with 44 seconds left in the first half, protecting Philadelphia’s 10-0 lead. That is Green Bay’s third turnover of the opening half.

Add in a missed field goal, as well, and the Packers’ self-inflicted wounds have taken them out of the game thus far.

A couple injury updates for the Eagles:

Edge rusher Nakobe Dean’s done for the day with a knee injury he suffered in the second quarter.

Cornerback Darius Slay Jr. is back on the field, however, after leaving for the locker room with an apparent arm injury earlier in the half.

The Eagles made the Tush Push so effective, it’s no surprise imitators have popped up around the league.

The Packers have their own version, except instead of quarterback Jordan Love being on the end of the push, it’s tight end Tucker Kraft. Or as Tom Brady would describe it, “same push, different tush.”

It’s not been pretty for Jordan Love so far.

Facing a fierce Philly pass rush and trailing from the first time he took a snap, Love is only 5 of 9 for 26 yards late in the first half. He has no touchdowns and one interception.

The Packers will need Love to step up with their running game also struggling. Josh Jacobs has only 25 yards on 10 carries. As a team, Green Bay is averaging a scant 3.5 yards per rush, that number itself a little inflated thanks to an 11-yard scramble by Love.

In addition to the lagging run game, special teams is also an issue. The Packers have a fumble on a kickoff return and a missed field goal so far.

Getting back in this game will likely fall on Love’s shoulders. Can he carry the burden?

Green Bay’s first productive drive of this game … ends without points. Packers kicker Brandon McManus missed the first postseason field goal of his career, pushing a 38-yarder wide and to the right. The Eagles caught a break, but didn’t away unscathed.

Right now, their defense is down two starters after cornerback Darius Slay Jr. and linebacker Nakobe Dean have both gone to the locker room with unspecified injuries.

It was a tale of two Jordan Loves during the regular season.

In the first eight regular-season games Love played, he threw 11 interceptions, earning himself a bit of a gunslinger reputation.

In his last seven regular-season games, however, Love threw zero picks.

The interception Love just threw to Darius Slay is his first INT since Nov. 17, a 20-19 win over the Bears, 409 plays ago. He did, however, throw two interceptions in his last postseason start, a loss to the 49ers.

Trying to go deep with a pass up the right sideline on the first play of the second quarter, Packers quarterback Jordan Love underthrew his receiver and his pass was instead caught — one-handed — by Eagles corner Darius Slay Jr. So far, Love is just 2-for-5 passing for 16 yards, with the interception.

Jake Elliott makes a 31-yard field goal to push the Eagles up 10 with 19 seconds to go in the first quarter, but Green Bay avoided the worst outcome by pressuring Jalen Hurts on third-and-10 and forcing an incompletion.

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley is up to 41 yards on six carries and QB Jalen Hurts hasn’t looked affected by the concussion that kept him in the league’s recovery protocol for two weeks; he’s 6-of-9 passing so far.

Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts rank third and ninth, respectively, in terms of annual average salary among quarterbacks. Both players were extended after playoff runs — Hurts after the Eagles made the Super Bowl in February 2023, and Love after winning a playoff game last January.

But despite paying a premium for their quarterbacks, both the Eagles and Packers rely on the ground game offensively. Philadelphia and Green Bay ranked second and fifth, respectively, in rushing yards per game during the regular season. It’s not particularly surprising, as both teams signed accomplished running backs in free agency before the season (Josh Jacobs for the Packers and Saquon Barkley for the Eagles).

And each quarterback is mobile in his own right, in particular Hurts, who is effective on designed runs in addition to the infamous ‘Tush Push.’

Expect both offenses to try to dominate on the ground as this game continues.

The Packers converted one third down on their latest drive but couldn’t extend it with another after Nolan Smith Jr. sacked Jordan Love by the ankles. With 5:19 left in the opening quarter, it’s still 7-0 Philadelphia. Star Packers running back Josh Jacobs has four carries for just 11 yards.

Philadelphia couldn’t extend its lead on its second drive. Credit Green Bay’s defense for forcing a punt after a five-play drive.

After fumbling the opening kickoff and going three-and-out before punting on their first drive, the Packers look like a team affected by postseason nerves. Quarterback Jordan Love’s opening pass sailed over the head of his intended receiver and was nearly intercepted. Philadelphia takes over the ball at its own 35-yard line.

Green Bay’s fumble on the opening kickoff has proved costly. Only three plays after Philadelphia recovered the fumble, it leads 7-0 after Jalen Hurts threw an 11-yard touchdown to Jahan Dotson less than 1:40 into this game.

Green Bay received the opening kickoff and promptly fumbled it right back to Philadelphia. Officials reviewed the play but upheld the initial call that the Eagles had recovered. It is the Eagles’ league-high 23rd forced fumble of the season, and gives their offense the ball only 28 yards from the end zone.

Philadelphia has the combination of talent, complimentary football and big-game experience that really nobody else playing this weekend has. The Eagles may not be as exciting as the Lions, but there’s almost too much lack of noise around a team that nearly won a Super Bowl only two years ago.

The Bills survived a very early scare and ultimately dominated the Broncos to advance to the Divisional Round.

The Broncos scored on their opening possession and then never again.

Josh Allen was clean and efficient, completing 20 of 26 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

Next up for Buffalo: The Ravens! Should be a great matchup.

The Eagles and Packers are up next.

Facing a 24-point deficit, the Broncos went for it on 4th-and-17 after Bo Nix was sacked on third down. His fourth-down heave was nearly picked off by Damar Hamlin but the ball hit the ground.

The Bills could end this game on their upcoming drive.

Buffalo took a good chunk of clock out of the fourth quarter, running 13 plays in a drive lasting almost seven minutes. It ended with a 34-yard field goal by Tyler Bass.

The Bills lead 31-7 with 4:37 left in the game. The Broncos have no timeouts remaining.

Though not a No. 1 seed, Buffalo has already beaten the AFC’s No. 1 seed, Kansas City, to break the Chiefs’ 15-game win streak, and their resume also includes a Dec. 15 win on the road against Detroit, the eventual No. 1 seed in the NFC. Few NFL franchises are more snakebitten in the postseason than Buffalo, but if there were ever a season to break Kansas City’s hold on the AFC, this might be it considering how well Josh Allen has played en route to potentially becoming the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. 

Not sure about that play call from the Broncos.

Denver, trailing 28-7, went for it on 4th-and-2 but Bo Nix threw well short of the sticks to running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who did not gain enough for the first down.

The Bills now take over on their own 13, and presumably will be looking to chew some clock.

That feels like the dagger.

On 3rd-and-6 from the Buffalo 45, Josh Allen floated a perfect pass to Curtis Samuel, who then outran the Denver defense for a 55-yard touchdown.

It’s not looking good for the Broncos right now. They just went three-and-out for the second straight time. Through four possessions in the second half, the Bills have run 17 plays compared to Denver’s six. And Buffalo has outscored the Broncos 11-0.

After a good return, the Bills start with the ball on their own 41 with a 21-7 lead.

That’s a backbreaking play for the Broncos, and maybe the gamebreaker for the Bills.

Buffalo opted to go for it on 4th-and-1 from the Denver 24, and after Josh Allen had several seconds to throw, he finally found Ty Johnson for a touchdown in the back of the end zone. Johnson just barely stayed in bounds as he slid to make the catch.

An incredible play by both Allen and Johnson.

Sean Payton said coming out of halftime the Broncos need to win the time-of-possession battle. Their most recent drive isn’t going to help.

Denver’s first possession of the second half was a three-and-out. Bo Nix tried to hit Troy Franklin on 3rd-and-5, but the ball went through Franklin’s hand.

The Broncos still haven’t scored since their first drive of the game.

The Bills will take over the ball from their own 27.

Another really nice stop for the Broncos defense, who for the second time today forced a Bills field goal from inside the 10.

Josh Allen had all day to throw on 3rd-and-goal but couldn’t find a receiver and was eventually sacked.

Tyler Bass hit a 27-yard field goal to give Buffalo a 13-7 lead. Denver still hanging around!

And the Bills will have the ball first, starting from their own 36-yard line.

That’s a brutal end to the first half for the Broncos.

Bo Nix led the team into field-goal range with only five seconds left on the clock in the second quarter, but Will Lutz doinked a 50-yarder off the right upright and the kick was no good.

While the Bills got the ball out of the shadow of their own end zone, their latest drive eventually stalled out as they approached midfield.

Buffalo had a 2nd-and-8 from its own 40, but a false start penalty and then a sack led to a 3rd-and-21 the offense couldn’t convert, forcing a punt.

The Broncos will take over from their own 10, trailing 10-7. They have all three of their timeouts and 1:52 on the clock.

That momentum shift was short lived.

Three plays after their fake punt, the Broncos punted for real. Denver was on the very edge of field goal range, but opted to kick the ball away from Buffalo’s 39-yard line.

The Bills will now start from their own 1 with a 10-7 lead.

Wow! Gutsy Sean Payton is back!

The Broncos were lining up to punt on 4th-and-8 from their own 43 but instead dialed up a fake punt. Punter Riley Dixon lofted a perfect pass to Marvin Mims for 15 yards and a first down.

That was a bruising drive by the Bills.

Buffalo went 81 yards in 13 plays, doing quite a bit of damage on the ground. James Cook capped the 7:35-long drive with a five-yard touchdown run.

Bo Nix couldn’t find an open receiver on 3rd-and-5 and the Broncos punted after their second drive. Nice stand by the Bills, who were gashed on the game’s opening possession.

Buffalo is back on the ball from its own 19.

The Bills drove 59 yards in 12 plays, but the Broncos defense stood them up in the red zone. Overall, that’s a win for Denver.

Buffalo had 1st-and-10 from the 11-yard line but after a short run, Josh Allen threw incomplete on back-to-back plays. Tyler Bass then came in for a 26-yard field goal.

The Broncos’ lead is now 7-3 with 7:07 left in the first.

Whoa! What a start for the Broncos!

Five plays into the game and Denver has a touchdown. Bo Nix took a deep shot from the Buffalo 43 and found an open Troy Franklin for a score. Nix also made a nice pass earlier in the drive to convert a third down.

Day 2 of Wild Card Weekend is underway. The Broncos are on the field first against the Bills. Let’s see how rookie Bo Nix does in his first playoff action.

Buffalo has done everything but reach the Super Bowl. Merely winning the wild-card round isn’t enough anymore. The pressure can quickly become unbearable when anything short of a title is considered a failure, and many Bills fans believe head coach Sean McDermott is the only thing standing between them and the Lombardi Trophy.

If McDermott feels the fear and coaches “not to lose” on Sunday, he could be signing his own pink slip. 

Both of these teams are designed to win shootouts and have playmakers all over the field. Jayden Daniels is the most exciting young player in football, but Baker Mayfield may have somehow been the most exciting player, period, this season. He was second in the NFL in passing touchdowns and first in turnovers.

No matter what, this one is going to be interesting.  

After missing the last two games of the regular season with a concussion, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was cleared from concussion protocol and practiced Wednesday, which was a significant boost for the Eagles. But how will he look Sunday against a Packers defense that forced 31 turnovers — fourth-most in the NFL — including 17 interceptions?

Philadelphia has won because of its running game but the Packers have been above-average stopping the run this season, allowing the third-fewest rushing yards among playoff teams.

Leave it to the New England Patriots to steal a little thunder from their division rival just hours before the Bills showdown on Wild Card Sunday. The Patriots announced they’ve signed Mike Vrabel as their next head coach.

If Denver has a chance to beat Buffalo on the road, they’ll have to do it with their elite defense. The Broncos led the NFL with 63 sacks and ranked third in scoring defense (18.3 points per game allowed).

The task won’t be easy against Josh Allen and the Bills, who put up 30.9 points per game, the second-best mark in the NFL.

The Packers and Eagles squared off in Week 1 and so did the Commanders and Buccaneers. Tampa Bay, led by four touchdowns by Baker Mayfield, won the matchup 37-20.

The Buccaneers would go on to rank fourth in scoring offense this season (29.5 points per game) while the Commanders were fifth (28.5). Sunday’s game will mark the first Wild Card game since 2020 to feature two teams that averaged over 28 points per game in the regular season.

Green Bay and Philadelphia played one prior this season, an opening week win by the Eagles in Philadelphia. In that matchup, running back Saquon Barkley had 132 scrimmage yards (109 rushing, 23 receiving) and three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving). The game propelled him towards one of the greatest seasons ever for a rusher.

Barkley ended the regular season with 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.

Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix both face tough tests in their first playoff game. The Commanders will travel on the road to face the Bucs in Tampa Bay while the Broncos head to Buffalo for a matchup with the Bills.  

According to the NFL, only three rookie quarterbacks have won their first career playoff start on the road: Joe Flacco (2008 Wild Card with Baltimore at Miami), Mark Sanchez (2009 Wild Card with the New York Jets at Cincinnati) and Russell Wilson (2012 Wild Card with Seattle at Washington).