A Week 1 rematch is on tabs for next weekend.
Just a few hours after securing their fourth consecutive NFC South title and fifth consecutive playoff berth, the Buccaneers learned they will host the Washington Commanders again on Wild Card Weekend.
The Buccaneers earned the NFC’s No. 3 seed at 10-7 on a tiebreaker after the Los Angeles Rams, who opted to rest most of their starters, lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 30-25. The final standings, on paper, should prove to benefit the Bucs as they avoid the loser of the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions Sunday night.
That said, the Commanders have long-since hit their groove since their Week 1, 37-20 defeat at the hands of Tampa. Jayden Daniels has been a revelation at quarterback for the beleaguered franchise, and head coach Dan Quinn has them playing extremely competitive football week in and week out.
While it wasn’t always pretty for the Bucs, both teams finish out the season on hot streaks, with Tampa winning 6 of its last 7 and Washington winning 5 straight.
It will be the Commanders’ first playoff berth since the miracle Taylor Heinicke run in 2020…when they played the Bucs as the first step in the latter’s Super Bowl win. They will be hunting for their first playoff win since 2005…against Tampa Bay. So there is some mixed history between these franchises in the postseason.
The time and date of the matchup has yet to be determined.