The Washington Commanders hit the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday night in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. Thanks to some fantastic offensive play and strong defensive stands, the back-and-forth affair was granted to the Commanders on a last-second field goal by Zane Gonzalez, with a 23-20 final.
The Commanders face a tough test in the next round, heading north to face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Stopping the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs won’t be the same as stopping Bucky Irving, and if the Commanders aren’t careful, the Lions will run away with the game. Literally and figuratively.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; there’s still a lot to dissect after defeating the Bucs last night. Let’s start by taking a look at the best and worst performances from the first playoff game of 2024, as graded by Pro Football Focus.