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Mistakes in the fourth quarter spelled the downfall of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
The Washington Commanders earned a narrow 23-20 victory over the Buccaneers, highlighted by a stunning, game-winning goal from kicker Zane Gonzalez in their wild game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
Jayden Daniels, the reigning Rookie of the Year, had an outstanding performance, completing 24-35 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, advancing the Reigns to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
For the Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and the rest of the team endured another heartbreaking loss to close out their season. Mayfield battled hard, finishing 15-of-18 for 185 yards, two touchdowns but lost a lot of money.
The Buccaneers made so many mistakes on the offensive end, including fumbles and fumbles, that the team's watch managers on Washington's final drive also criticized on social media:
Nick Wise @iAmNickWize
Todd Bowles and the defense take the heat for this, but the loss is on offense.
The fumble after the defense made a big 4th down stop ruined the Buccaneers' season.#WeAreTheKrewe
Tampa Bay kicker Chase McLaughlin opened the scoring Sunday with a 50-yard field goal in the first quarter at the hands of the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay's defense held Washington scoreless in the first quarter.
In the second half, Washington's Dyami Brown scored on a 10-yard pass from Daniels, followed by a Gonzalez field goal, giving the Chiefs a 10-3 lead with 1:52 left in the half.
Tampa Bay responded quickly with 1:43 to go on a touchdown pass from Mayfield to Evans, tying the game at 10-10 heading into halftime.
In halftime, Gonzalez hit a 22-yard field goal as Washington gained a third. However, Tampa Bay's Bucky Irving scored the final layup with 4:31 left in the quarter, giving the Buccaneers a 17-13 lead heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter was full of excitement.
It started with a key stop by Tampa Bay's defensive line, stopping Washington on fourth down in the red zone. However, a few minutes later, the Buccaneers fumbled at their own 11-yard line, with quarterback Bobby Wagner recovering the ball and returning it to Washington. The rebound set up a pass for Terry McLaurin, giving the Rulers a 20-17 lead.
Tampa Bay answered with a McLaughlin field goal, tying the game at 20 with 4:41 remaining. The Chiefs went on a dramatic drive, eating up 4:30 of the clock before Gonzalez hit a game-winning field goal from 37 yards out to seal the victory.
The No. 6 seed will travel to Detroit to face the top-ranked Lions on Jan. 18.
