Are you looking for the player stats from the Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers games? You are in the right place. This guide looks at the two most recent games between these teams that I could find: the season opener on September 8, 2024, and the playoff game on January 12, 2025.
I wrote everything in simple words, so you can read it fast. All numbers come from sources like the Associated Press, Pro Football Reference, the Buccaneers’ official website, and PFF. I list every source at the bottom of the page.
Quick Facts About the Two Games
Here is a short look at both games before we go into the details.
| Week 1, 2024 | Wild Card, 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | September 8, 2024 | January 12, 2025 |
| Place | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa |
| Final score | Buccaneers 37, Commanders 20 | Commanders 23, Buccaneers 20 |
| Winner | Tampa Bay | Washington |
| Star quarterback | Baker Mayfield | Jayden Daniels |
Both games took place in Tampa, and both had a young Commanders quarterback named Jayden Daniels. The first game was his first NFL start. The second one was his first playoff game. Each team won once, so the story is a nice one for fans of both sides.
One note before we start: sports websites sometimes show slightly different numbers for the same game. When that happens, I use the numbers from the most trusted source and tell you about it.
Game 1: Buccaneers 37, Commanders 20 (September 8, 2024)
This was the first game of the 2024 season for both teams. Everyone wanted to see Jayden Daniels, the second pick in the 2024 draft. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 when he played at LSU. But the player who stole the show was Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Quarterback Stats
| Player | Team | Passing | Yards | TD | INT | Rushing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mayfield | Buccaneers | 24 of 30 | 289 | 4 | 0 | 3 carries, 21 yards |
| Jayden Daniels | Commanders | 17 of 24 | 184 | 0 | 0 | 16 carries, 88 yards, 2 TD |
Mayfield was close to perfect. He completed 80 percent of his passes, threw four touchdowns, and did not throw an interception. His passer rating was 146.4, which is very high. For many fans, this game showed that Mayfield was now the clear leader of the Buccaneers.
Daniels had a different kind of day. He did not throw a touchdown pass, but he ran for two touchdowns, both from the 1-yard line. His 88 rushing yards were the most on his team. PFF also pointed out something special: he was the first quarterback in NFL history to run for more than 80 yards and score two rushing touchdowns in his first career start. That is a big deal for a rookie.
How the Points Were Scored
The Buccaneers’ official scoring summary shows how the game went:
- Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals, from 56, 34, and 29 yards.
- Mike Evans caught two touchdown passes from Mayfield, one from 17 yards and one from 1 yard.
- Chris Godwin caught a 4-yard touchdown pass.
- Jalen McMillan caught a 32-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
- Brian Robinson Jr. ran for a 7-yard touchdown for Washington.
- Daniels added two short touchdown runs, one in the third quarter and one with under two minutes left.
So Mayfield threw touchdowns to three different receivers. That is one reason the Washington defense had a hard time.
Best Receivers
Chris Godwin was named PFF’s player of the game. Mayfield threw to him eight times, and he caught all eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Six of those catches gave the Buccaneers a first down. Mike Evans, who has been one of the league’s best receivers for years, scored twice. Rookie running back Bucky Irving also helped with a 32-yard run during the long drive that made the score 37-14 late in the game.
What the Stats Tell Us
The big story was efficiency. Mayfield used almost every pass well, and he had very little pressure on him, with only one sack. Daniels was sacked twice and the Commanders had to rely on his legs. Washington ran the ball 30 times for 138 yards as a team, and a large part of that came from Daniels himself. Tampa Bay ran 30 times for 112 yards. The running game was almost equal, but the passing game was not. That was the difference.
A small note on the numbers: PFF’s quick recap listed Mayfield at 23 of 29 for 257 yards, but the final box scores from the AP, CBS Sports, and FantasyData all show 24 of 30 for 289 yards. I used the final numbers.
Game 2: Commanders 23, Buccaneers 20 (January 12, 2025)
The teams met again four months later, this time in the NFC Wild Card round. Washington was the sixth seed and Tampa Bay was the third seed. Daniels had a great rookie year, with 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 891 rushing yards. Many people wanted to see if he could do it in the playoffs.
He could. The game ended in a very close finish. Zane Gonzalez kicked a 37-yard field goal as time ran out, and Washington won 23-20.
Quarterback Stats
| Player | Team | Passing | Yards | TD | INT | Rushing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Daniels | Commanders | 24 of 35 | 268 | 2 | 0 | 13 carries, 36 yards |
| Baker Mayfield | Buccaneers | 15 of 18 | 185 | 2 | 0 | 7 carries, 23 yards |
Mayfield was again very accurate. He hit 15 of 18 passes, which is more than 83 percent, and his passer rating was 146.5. Daniels threw more, and he made more big plays through the air. He also had a good passer rating of 110.2, and he was sacked just once.
One more fact: the Buccaneers’ own website listed Daniels as 22 of 34, but Pro Football Reference, PFF, and FantasyData all list 24 of 35. I went with the 24 of 35 version because three sources agree.
The Scoring Plays
The game stayed close the whole time:
- Chase McLaughlin kicked a 50-yard field goal for Tampa Bay in the first quarter.
- Daniels threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dyami Brown at the end of a long, 17-play drive.
- Gonzalez kicked a 52-yard field goal before halftime.
- Mayfield answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans with only 10 seconds left in the half, so the score was 10-10.
- Gonzalez kicked a 22-yard field goal in the third quarter.
- Mayfield threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Irving to make it 17-13.
- Daniels threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin on a fourth-and-two play.
- McLaughlin kicked a 32-yard field goal to tie the game at 20.
- Gonzalez kicked the 37-yard game winner as time ran out.
Best Receivers
Two Commanders receivers had almost the same stats. Terry McLaurin caught 7 passes on 10 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. Dyami Brown caught all 5 of his targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. Both of them made big plays in important moments.
Running back Austin Ekeler was not a big part of the run game. He had 8 carries for 27 yards, but he added 3 catches for 26 yards. The Commanders as a team ran 33 times for 82 yards. The Buccaneers had 25 carries for 101 yards, which was a better average of 4.0 yards per carry.
For Tampa Bay, Mike Evans and Bucky Irving scored the touchdowns. Tight end Cade Otton caught 2 passes for 32 yards.
The Turning Point
Football games often change with one play. In this game, it was a fumble. Early in the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers were ahead 17-13 after their defense stopped Washington on the 4-yard line. Then Mayfield fumbled the ball on a handoff to Jalen McMillan, and the Commanders recovered it at the Buccaneers’ 13-yard line. Daniels then threw the touchdown to McLaurin and Washington took the lead. It was Mayfield’s only mistake in the whole game, but it was a costly one.
At the end, Daniels ran for a key first down to help set up the winning kick. After the game, the Commanders were 13-5 and the Buccaneers finished at 10-8. The win also gave Washington its first playoff victory since 2006, when they also beat Tampa Bay in a wild-card game, 17-10.
Both Games Side by Side
Let us put the two games in one table, so you can compare them easily.
| Stat | Week 1 (TB wins) | Wild Card (WAS wins) |
|---|---|---|
| Mayfield passing | 24 of 30, 289 yards, 4 TD | 15 of 18, 185 yards, 2 TD |
| Daniels passing | 17 of 24, 184 yards, 0 TD | 24 of 35, 268 yards, 2 TD |
| Mayfield interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| Daniels interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| Daniels rushing | 16 carries, 88 yards, 2 TD | 13 carries, 36 yards, 0 TD |
| Mayfield passer rating | 146.4 | 146.5 |
| Daniels passer rating | 93.1 | 110.2 |
Here are some things we can see from the table.
Mayfield was great both times. His passer rating was almost the same in both games, and he never threw an interception. Still, he lost the second game. That shows that one great player cannot always decide a close match.
Daniels grew a lot. In September, he got his yards mostly from running. In January, he threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns in a playoff game. That is a strong step forward in just four months.
Turnovers and big moments matter. Neither quarterback threw an interception in either game. But one lost fumble in the second game changed the result. Small details like this are often the reason for a win or a loss.
Players to Watch in the Next Game
If these teams play again, these players will probably be in the spotlight:
- Jayden Daniels (Commanders): He can beat a defense with his arm and his legs. Defenses must watch him on every play.
- Terry McLaurin (Commanders): He is the main receiver. He caught a touchdown in the playoff game.
- Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers): He has been very accurate against Washington in both games.
- Mike Evans (Buccaneers): He has scored in both of these games, and he is Mayfield’s favorite red zone target.
- Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving (Buccaneers): Godwin had a perfect day as a receiver in Week 1, and Irving scored in the playoff game.
As of October 2026, the two teams do not play each other in the 2026 regular season, based on the Commanders’ schedule. So the next meeting will have to wait. Rosters can also change a lot from year to year, so always check the latest team news before you use old stats for a prediction.
How to Read Football Player Stats
If you are new to football, the tables above might look hard. Here is what the short words mean.
- Completions and attempts (for example, 24 of 30): How many passes the quarterback completed out of all passes he threw.
- Yards: How far the ball moved. More yards is usually better.
- TD: Touchdowns. Each one is worth six points.
- INT: Interceptions. This is when the other team catches your pass. It is bad for the quarterback.
- Carries: The number of times a player ran with the ball.
- Targets: The number of times a quarterback threw the ball to a receiver, even if the receiver did not catch it.
- Passer rating: A number that combines completions, yards, touchdowns, and interceptions. A rating above 100 is very good, and the top mark is 158.3.
- Sack: When the defense tackles the quarterback before he can throw.
Where to Find Reliable Stats
There are many websites with fake or empty pages about this topic. Some of them only have blanks like “[Player Name]” instead of real numbers. To avoid these, look at trusted sources:
- Pro Football Reference has full box scores for old games.
- The official team websites have scoring summaries and recaps.
- The Associated Press (AP) is a news group that writes accurate game reports.
- NFL.com and ESPN have live and final stats.
If two sources show different numbers, check a third one. Most of the time, the final box score from a major source is the right one.
Final Thoughts
The two latest games between the Commanders and the Buccaneers gave fans a lot to talk about. In Week 1, Baker Mayfield showed that he was in top form. In the playoffs, Jayden Daniels showed that he could handle a big game. Both quarterbacks played well, and the result came down to a few key moments.
The next time these two teams meet, use the numbers in this guide as a starting point. Look at the quarterbacks, the top receivers, and the turnovers. They tell you a lot about who has the best chance to win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Commanders vs Buccaneers games?
Each team won one of the two latest games. The Buccaneers won 37-20 on September 8, 2024, in Week 1. The Commanders won 23-20 on January 12, 2025, in the NFC Wild Card round. Washington won with a last-second field goal by Zane Gonzalez.
Which player had the best stats in these games?
It depends on the game. In Week 1, Baker Mayfield had the best day with 289 passing yards and four touchdowns. In the playoff game, Jayden Daniels had the biggest numbers with 268 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Mayfield was the most efficient passer with 15 completions on 18 attempts.
When do the Commanders and Buccaneers play next?
As of October 12, 2026, I could not find a game between them in the Commanders’ 2026 schedule. The NFL schedule can change, so check NFL.com or the teams’ websites for the newest dates.
