TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — For the fifth consecutive season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will enter the NFL postseason, their fourth straight time as champions of the NFC South.
The Bucs earned their way into the playoffs with a 27-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints, finishing with a 10-7 record, two games better than the Atlanta Falcons who lost their season finale to the Carolina Panthers.
On Monday, Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles sat down with Dan Lucas for their weekly “Bucs with Bowles” interview, turning the page quickly to this Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game against the Washington Commanders.
The game will be a rematch from week one of the regular season, a 37-20 win by the Bucs, but the key components will be much different.
After a tough introduction to the NFL, Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has put up “Rookie of the Year” numbers, leading his team to a 12-5 regular season record, including a come-from-behind win over the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Bowles noted the reasons Daniels presents so many problems for defenses, intelligence and speed. Daniels also performed like a veteran quarterback when it came to protecting the football during the regular season.
A game that is likely to be much different than week one will also feature a talented group of Bucs rookies such as running back Bucky Irving (1,122 rushing yards) and wide receiver Jalen McMillan, who caught seven touchdown passes in the team’s final five games of the season.