ROANOKE, Va. – The Washington Commanders are gearing up for a Sunday night Wild Card showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s a rematch of Week 1, where the Buccaneers came out on top. Washington’s Defensive Coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. says Tampa’s win was no fluke, especially with the way Baker Mayfield has been playing.
“I’ve been really impressed with Baker Mayfield,” Whitt said. “He’s playing at a really high level. He can escape the pocket as well as anyone in the league. We missed five sacks on him the first time, but so have plenty of other teams. He’s competitive, keeps his eyes downfield, and has been making big plays. I take off my hat to him.”
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The Commanders struggled in that first matchup. With a new head coach, a new system, and a rookie quarterback, the team was still finding its footing. Tampa capitalized, and Washington couldn’t keep up.
Since then, the Commanders have turned things around. They finished the season with a 12-5 record, winning seven of their next eight games. Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury says rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has made huge strides since his rough debut.
“We’ve evolved a lot,” Kingsbury said. “You look at that first game — his very first pass was a backward pass for a loss of 20 yards. He’s come a long way since then. It’s taken a lot of hard work and mental reps. I’m excited to see how far we’ve come as a team in this rematch.”
The Commanders head into Sunday night’s game with momentum and a chance to prove just how much they’ve improved. Kickoff is set for Sunday night at 8 p.m. in Tampa.