Julio Cortez / Associated Press
Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first playoff game in 18 years after a 31-23 victory over the Washington Football Team in the NFC Wild Card Round on Saturday night.
Making his first appearance in the postseason since 2007, Tampa had a favorable clash against a team from Washington who made 7-9 in the regular season. The Bucs also ended the year on a high, with four consecutive wins and an attack averaging 40.7 points per game in the past three weeks.
The key to Washington’s success throughout the season was a defense that ranked fourth in points allowed per game (20.6). The offense was a question mark, especially considering that Taylor Heinicke only made his second NFL game in place of Alex Smith, who was considered inactive due to a calf injury.
Even though the defense of the football team seemed like a bad match for Tom Brady, the three-time NFL MVP was able to separate them. He finished 381 yards, despite having been looted three times.
Heinicke was successful in throwing the ball down the field and creating plays with his legs, accumulating 352 total yards.
Notable game statistics
- Tom Brady, TB: 22 out of 40, 381 yards, 2 TD
- Leonard Fournette, TB: 19 charges, 93 yards, TD; 4 receptions, 39 yards
- Mike Evans, TB: 6 receptions, 119 yards
- Antonio Brown, TB: 2 receptions, 49 yards, TD
- Taylor Heinicke, WAS: 26 of 44, 306 yards, TD, INT; 6 loads, 46 yards, TD
- Antonio Gibson, WAS: 14 runs, 31 yards
- Cam Sims, WAS: 7 receptions, 104 yards
Bucs Survive Ugly Win vs. Washington
Despite entering the playoffs as seed number 5, the Buccaneers have played as well as any NFC team in the past month.
Brady, in particular, is in the middle of one of the hottest phases of his historic career. The 43-year-old launched at least 300 yards in four consecutive games with 12 touchdown passes during that period.
In his first playoff game with Brady, Antonio Brown made an impact with a 36-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Brown found his way in the Bruce Arians attack in the final stretch. The seven-time Pro Bowler picked up four touchdowns in the last three games of the regular season and had the season’s 138 yard record in Week 17 against the Atlanta Falcons.
It is a good thing that Brown has stepped up, because Chris Godwin had an absolute nightmare game that he will want to forget immediately.
One of Godwin’s takedowns was a possible touchdown, four moves before Brown entered the end zone in the first quarter.
There are still signs that Bucs will be vulnerable to better competition. Washington was able to move the ball across the field against his defense, averaging 5.4 yards per move, but his inability to finish the moves led to his fall.
Brady had a series of great throws in the air, but his completion percentage was below 50 percent in the third quarter. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich continues to emphasize the racing game for much longer than it should.
When the Buccaneers were driving in the middle of the third quarter trying to extend their lead from 18 to 10, Ke’Shawn Vaughn missed a fumble that was recovered by Washington linebacker Jon Bostic.
If there is a silver lining after the fumble, Brady led the attack in three consecutive scoring attempts in the fourth period that made the difference in the game.
Arians, Leftwich and the rest of the coaching staff will have many adjustments to make in the coming week, but the Bucs continue to prove they can win games in a variety of ways. This makes them very dangerous in an NFC that seems wide open after the Green Bay Packers.
Disappointing end does not diminish Washington season
Whereas Washington entered the 2020 season with the higher odds winning the NFC East and not making the playoffs since 2015, getting to this point is a big step in the right direction for the franchise.
Washington has the basis of a potential steamroller thanks to a dominant defense. This unit classified third in Football Outsiders’ DVOA and fourth in points allowed during the regular season.
O expectancy on Saturday night, Tampa Bay would blow up Washington’s doors. It certainly seemed reasonable, especially with Washington turning to a quarterback who started his six-year career in the NFL.
A funny thing happened along the way: Washington stayed close by and even flirted with an upset.
Heinicke not only looked comfortable in his first appearance in the playoffs, but he also caused the Bucs’ defense all sorts of problems with his arms and legs.
Heinicke made more passes in the first three quarters on Saturday night (26) than during the entire regular season (19). The 27-year-old may not end up holding Washington in the long run, but he certainly looks like an above average reserve.
Next generation statistics @NextGenStats
Taylor Heinicke reached a top speed of 19.29 MPH in this 8-yard TD race, traveling 39.1 yards from the snap until he crossed the post. Heinicke is responsible for the two fastest speeds of a ball carrier in tonight’s game (19.29 and 19.25 MPH). #TBvsWAS | Developed by @awscloud https://t.co/dTT5ClukWf
Washington’s defense has proven throughout the 2020 season that it can keep up with any team in the league every week. The quarterback’s situation left the attack in a state of constant flow.
The attack has talent, with Terry McLaurin proving to be a quarterback after breaking the 1,000 yard barrier in 2020. Antonio Gibson had an incredible debut season with 1,042 yards of scrimmage and 11 touchdowns.
Coach Ron Rivera and his team will have to deal with that position this off-season. If Washington achieves uniform average output from the quarterback in 2021, the ceiling for that team will be as high as any NFC team.
What is the next?
The Bucs’ The NFC Divisional Round clash will be determined after the outcome of Sunday’s game between the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints.