A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders
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Commanders-Bucs preview: Run game from all angles highlights wild-card matchup
Tampa Bay silenced McLaurin in the opener, but the standout roared back with a single-season franchise record 13 touchdowns to go with 1,096 yards and 82 receptions. One of Daniels’ targets, Crowder, is the only active player with a final designation of “questionable.” All other players are available.
That includes Dyami Brown, whose deep speed should be targeted against a Bucs secondary battling injuries. Of Tampa Bay’s five “questionable” players for Sunday, three are defensive backs, including safety Antoine Winfield and cornerback Jamel Dean. The Bucs are 25th in receptions of 20 or more yards allowed (54).
Washington needs its tackle trio of Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Johnny Newton to collapse the pocket on Mayfield and turn the inside into a collective brick wall against the Buccaneers’ running backs. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore’s return, highlighted by the feisty matchup with Evans, allows Washington to send eight to the box. Yet the story may be won or lost on the edge before contact.
Washington’s run defense ranked 30th in rushing yards allowed per game (137.5). It allowed at least 91 rush yards in 15 of 17 games this season. Tampa Bay gained 138 yards in the first meeting, ultimately on the lower end of Washington’s opponents. That was without a heavy workload for impressive rookie Bucky Irving. There are specific concerns within those numbers.
The Commanders ranked 29th in yards allowed before contact (1.97) for the season, according to TruMedia, and 30th (2.2) since Week 11. When isolated to outside runs, Washington surrendered a league-high 2.3 yards per attempt before contact. Since Week 11, the league-worst ranking stands, but the yards before contact jumped to 3.2.
Regardless of contact, Washington is tied for 31st in yards per outside carry (5.6). Steadier edge play from Dante Fowler Jr. and Frankie Luvu would also limit perimeter opportunities. Fowler’s missed tackle percentage (27.0) is ninth highest among linemen and edge rushers with at least 482 snaps (10 of 563). Dorance Armstrong (23.3) is the second highest on the team.
Commanders Wire
5 keys to Commanders beating Buccaneers in NFC Wild Card Round
Be ready for the blitz
Tampa Bay blitzed Jayden Daniels on close to 40% of his dropbacks in Week 1. Head coach Todd Bowles is one of the NFL’s most aggressive defensive coaches. In specific games this season, Washington’s offensive line struggled in pass protection. The good news is that center Tyler Biadasz will be back in the lineup. Daniels has been excellent against the blitz since Week 1. His touchdown pass to clinch the win over Cincinnati in Week 3 was one of the NFL’s best throws this season. In the Week 16 win over the Eagles, Philly heavily blitzed Daniels, but he torched them, passing for 173 yards and three touchdowns against the blitz. Bowles will come after Daniels, so Kliff Kingsbury must have an answer.
I wrote a story about Terry McLaurin’s subtle, signature skill and @arturgalocha made the coolest graphics of all time.
What makes the Washington Commanders star WR great? See for yourself below pic.twitter.com/sqSC8qIMbj
— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) January 11, 2025
Hogs Haven
How Successfull are Rookie QBs in their First Playoff Start?
Overall rookie QBs have experienced mild success in their playoff debuts. Although their record is a solid 6-7, half of the QBs to win playoff games had subpar performances. Only 2 of these quarterbacks won as many games as Daniels as a starter (Prescott and Roethlisberger) and they both had interesting showings as Big Ben struggled and won whereas Dak thrived and lost.
Of the 7 pro bowl rookies, 3 of them won their playoff debuts (Roethlisberger, Wilson, Stroud) and of the 5 rookie of the year winners, 2 won their games (Roethlisberger and Stroud).
It seems like Daniels’ career has been somewhat similar to the afforementioned QBs so that could be a good omen. The two most recent rookies won their games in blowouts which I find interesting but overall there seems to be no concrete trends. All I can say is we can hope Daniels doesn’t perform poorly (as lots of rookies do) and wins the game.
Greater Greater Washington
RFK isn’t big enough for a stadium with NFL-sized parking
Muriel Bowser suggested such tradeoffs don’t really exist: “I listened to some of the things that community members said they wanted, and I agree with all of them. And I know that on 174 acres, they are all possible.”
The math, however, does not find that all things are possible.
RFK is sometimes described as a 190-acre campus, but that older figure includes the DC Armory, which was not addressed in the federal transfer bill. The bill specifies that 174 acres are changing hands, and outlines two prominent restrictions for the site.
- A 32-acre “riparian” area along the bank of the Anacostia River is cordoned off, to protect the river from polluting runoff. That area is shown in the map below with hashed shading.
- That an additional 30% of the site, not including the riparian area, be dedicated to parks and open space. That’s another 42.6 acres on which nothing—not a stadium, not housing—can be built. If retained, the 15-ish acres of the popular Fields at RFK would presumably count towards this goal.
Together, those two restrictions mean that only about 100 of the 174 acres of the RFK site can actually be developed.
The northwest portion of the Dupont Circle neighborhood, census tracts 55.02 and 42.02—one of the most popular areas of the city—is itself about 100 acres.
About 5,700 Washingtonians live in these 20-something blocks, in about 3,600 homes. There’s enough room for a Metro station, a world-class art museum, galleries, offices, embassies, churches, retail, and restaurants, all of which serve residents and visitors alike.
That, but at RFK, with its waterfront views, would be an incredible boon for the District, and a more sustainable and reliable source of tax revenue than a stadium.
A stadium could fit comfortably in the 100 acres; 15–40 acres is a common football-stadium footprint. The parking the Commanders are likely to demand, however, will gobble up almost all of the rest.
To keep RFK from being a wasteland of asphalt, and to keep with the District’s strong precedent of urban stadiums, Bowser will have to insist on no more than 10,000 parking spaces and on keeping the entire complex—stadium and parking—to less than 50 acres. That’s the only possible way for her to create a world in which new housing and amenities can be built at RFK alongside a stadium. (To really knock it out of the park, the Commanders should be made to underground as much of that parking as possible, so more useful things can be built on top of it.)
Upcoming opponent
Hogs Haven
Washington Commanders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Five Questions with Bucs Nation
Who is one Bucs player on offense and one player on defense that Washington fans probably don’t know much about, but should?
Tight end Cade Otton is on track to come back in this matchup after missing the last few games with injury and he helps in both the passing and run game. They’ve missed his presence and Baker Mayfield likes to target him so he’s someone to keep an eye on.
On the defensive side of the ball, you don’t hear enough about the season Calijah Kancey had. He was the team leader in sacks this year with 7.5 all while missing five games. Kancey has the potential to become a household name next season.
Podcasts & videos
HC Dan Quinn Talks Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | The Gameplan | Commanders
On video: 5 thoughts. On the differences from Week 1 (some are pronounced); where Jayden Daniels immediately improved; numbers on the Lattimore-Evans matchups; checking out the Bucs’ O and D. More. @ESPNRichmond https://t.co/WHSeBtQ5Yo
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 11, 2025
Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2024 Wild Card Preview
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ESPN
NFL playoffs wild-card round: Picks, schedule, odds, injuries
(7) Packers at (2) Eagles
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET | Fox |
Packers storyline to watch: The Packers finished with their highest defensive ranking (fifth) since their Super Bowl-winning season of 2010, but they’ve had trouble with Eagles running back Saquon Barkley before. Including the 2024 season opener, Barkley has three straight games against the Packers with at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown — tied for the longest streak by any player against Green Bay. — Rob Demovsky
Eagles storyline to watch: Quarterback Jalen Hurts continues to progress through concussion protocol and is expected to play barring a setback. The question then becomes whether the passing offense can get into a rhythm early with Hurts playing in his first game since Dec. 22. Slow starts were a theme for the Eagles this season, particularly early on, as they failed to score in the first quarter 10 times. Early production has improved of late, but their progress will be tested against a team that has allowed just 19.9 points per game, the sixth-best mark in the NFL. — Tim McManus
Stat to know: The Packers scored 30-plus points in five of their seven final games, including five straight contests in Weeks 12 through 16. That’s the second-longest streak in franchise history after a seven-game streak in 1963. — ESPN Research
Matchup X factor: Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Cooper has the second-level range to track the ball carrier on the edges, and he can patrol the intermediate windows in coverage. If the Packers want to get a win in Philly this weekend, he will need to play an impact role to limit Barkley and clog the middle of the field in the pass game. — Bowen
Betting nugget: The Eagles are 9-3 ATS in their past 12 games. They have covered in three straight home games. Read more. — ESPN Research
Officiating nugget: Referee Brad Allen’s regular-season crew threw the third-fewest flags per game (13.4). But Allen called 10 penalties for roughing the passer, the second most in the league. That’s good news for the protection of Hurts and Love, who were the beneficiaries of a combined three penalties for roughing the passer in the regular season. — Seifert
(6) Commanders at (3) Buccaneers
Sunday, 8 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock |
Commanders storyline to watch: Washington’s defense has improved since facing Tampa Bay in the season opener. After three games, the Commanders ranked 29th in points allowed per game (29.3). But from Weeks 4 through 18, Washington ranked 12th in scoring (21.6 points per game) and fourth in total yards (316.1). The Bucs will present a challenge because of their improved run game with rookie Bucky Irving; they rank second in the NFL over the past seven weeks in rushing yards per game (183.3). Washington’s defense ranks 30th against the run, allowing 137.5 rushing yards per game. — John Keim
Buccaneers storyline to watch: The Bucs have seen quarterback Jayden Daniels take off since their Week 1 victory, when he rushed for two touchdowns. Still, they feel they’re more equipped to stop Daniels this go-around. “Early in the season, we were falling short a little bit on containment and not being able to plaster as quarterbacks scramble,” cornerback Zyon McCollum said. “From the D-line down to the DBs, we’ve done a really good job at focusing in and homing in on that type of quarterback movement.” In Weeks 1 through 9, they were giving up 5.0 yards per rush to opposing QBs (22nd in the league). That number has dropped to 3.2 (third best). — Jenna Laine
Stat to know: Since the wild card was introduced in 1978, this matchup will mark the fourth instance of two teams meeting in the wild-card round after averaging 28-plus points per game in the regular season. — ESPN Research
Matchup X factor: Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan. He has seen a bump in target volume and more touchdown production down the stretch. McMillan has at least one touchdown reception in each of his past five games, and he brings a vertical stretch element to this offense. Working opposite Mike Evans, McMillan can win his matchups against Washington’s other options in the secondary. — Bowen
Injuries: Commanders | Buccaneers
Betting nugget: Four straight Buccaneers games have gone over the total. Overs are 12-5 in Buccaneers games this season, including 11-3 in their past 14. Read more. — ESPN Research
Officiating nugget: Referee Craig Wrolstad’s regular-season crew threw the second-most flags per game in the NFL (18). But he called only four for roughing the passer, which is good news for both teams in this game. They each committed six roughing the passer fouls, tied for third most in the NFL. — Seifert
Big Blue View
New York Giants shut out on AP All-Pro Team
No members of the New York Giants were named to the AP All-Pro first- or second-teams for the 2024 NFL season.
That, of course, should hardly be considered a surprise after a 3-14 season that saw the Giants lose 10 straight games at one point en route to landing the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Only four Giants even received votes.
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who finished the season on IR with a dislocated elbow, finished sixth in the balloting with 24 points. Former Giant Leonard Williams, now with the Seattle Seahawks, was fifth with 41 points. Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers was eighth at his position with 12 points. Ihmir Smith-Marsette finished sixth among kick returners with six points. Long snapper Casey Kreiter received one vote.
Former Giants running back Saquon Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney were each voted to the first team.
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Over the Cap
NFL Teams Finalize 2025 Salary Cap Carryover
Each of the NFL teams has officially submitted to the NFL the amount of 2024 salary cap space that they will carry over to the 2025 season.
We have been using estimates for the carryover for all of our cap figures for 2025 and those have now been updated to reflect the real numbers. We will be adding in some estimated adjustments in the coming weeks and then change those when the NFL makes the numbers official. Here is the amount of carryover for each team:
