The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' playoff aspirations came to an abrupt end with a 23-20 defeat to the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card round. Despite clinching a playoff spot in the final week of the regular season, the Bucs struggled to find their rhythm throughout the game.

Even when leading, Tampa Bay was outmatched, with the Commanders controlling the tempo thanks to a significant advantage in time of possession. The Buccaneers' defense, unable to capitalize on chances, allowed quarterback Jayden Daniels to throw for over 250 yards and struggled against Washington's efficiency on critical downs.