The Washington Commanders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night, earning their continued participation in the 2024 NFL playoffs. They got through the Wild Card round and next face off against the NFC’s top seeded team, the Detroit Lions.
On Sunday, the Commanders were in Florida to face the Bucs and it was very much a back-and-forth event. The Bucs struck first, kicking a field goal on their first possession of the game, but the teams went into the locker room at halftime tied at 10.
The game continued to swing in the direction of both teams with five more scores occurring in the second half. The game-ending field goal by Zane Gonzalez as time expired was an exciting way to come away with a win. Now, let’s look at the snap counts that contributed to this victory.
Offensive Snaps: 73
Defensive Snaps: 48
Special Teams: 21
As usual, Jayden Daniels and the offensive line played 100% of the snaps, and while the defense typically sees more rotation, the Commanders clearly prepared for Bucky Irving and Mike Evans. Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, and Jeremy Chinn all played every single defensive snap, with Quan Martin and Mike Sainristil close behind.
The Commanders have a serious test in front of them, facing the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Saturday. It’s not impossible, but Dan Quinn & Co. better have a plan for defending the Lions’ incredible run game. The game kicks off at 8pm EDT.