Bucks vs. Commanders
when: Sunday, January 12, 2025 | where: Raymond James Stadium – (Tampa, Florida) | Expedia kick off: 8:15pm ET tv set: NBC
Play by play: Mike Tirico | Analyst: Cris Collinsworth Side job: melissa stark
wireless: 98 Rock 97.9FM | Play by play: Gene Deckerhoff Analyst: Dave Moore | Side job: TJ Rives
As game day approaches, it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make their weekly game predictions and provide game previews. This week’s match. Let us know what you think in the comment section of the article. Please also add your predictions.
Scott Reynolds: Experienced backs defeat upstart manager
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
The Bucks have hosted a wild-card playoff game in each of the past four years and have made the playoffs in each of the past five years. That experience should come in handy Sunday night when Tampa Bay hosts Washington. This is reminiscent of when Tom Brady’s 13-4 Bucks defeated the 9-8 Eagles in the 2021 Wild Card Game. Philadelphia won 14 games the following year before losing to Kansas City in the Super Bowl.
The Commanders have made a surprising turnaround in Dan Quinn’s first year as head coach, but his team lacks playoff experience. Washington’s last playoff game was in 2020, when the team hosted Tampa Bay in the wild card game and lost 7-9. The Bucks also don’t have many players with the experience of defeating the Commanders 37-20 in Week 1.
Both teams have improved since then, ranking fourth in the league in scoring offense (Bucks 29.5 points) and fifth in scoring offense (Commanders 28.5 points). But Tampa Bay’s defense was great down the stretch, allowing just 17 points per game since the Week 11 bye. The Bucks went 6-1 during that span, allowing an average of just 3.3 points per game in the second half. Last 7 games. The managers won the last few games, but The Bucks defense should be ready and looking to blitz Jaden Daniels even more than it did in Week 1.
Baker Mayfield was disqualified from the Pro Bowl by Daniels, even though he threw 41 touchdowns to Daniels’ 25. He will be carrying a huge chip on his shoulder in this match. If he can repeat last year’s wild-card performance in which he threw three touchdowns, or his season-opening four-TD salvo against the Commanders, the Bucs should be able to score over 30 points again. Bucky Irving should also run wild against the league’s No. 30 rushing defense. Tampa Bay is 3-0 with rushing yards of 100 or more and 6-0 with rushing yards of 80 or more.
Reynolds game prediction: Bucks 31, Commanders 26
Reynolds season record: 10 wins, 7 losses.
Matt Matera: Bucks win in close game
Bucks RB Bucky Irving – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
It will be interesting to see that this is a matchup between two teams that started the season with each other, so the Bucks and Commanders are a much different team than they were when they played each other a few months ago. That doesn’t mean high-scoring moments will be few and far between. This game can also be turned into a gunfight in other ways.
In the first game, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield had 289 passing yards and four touchdowns, and Tampa Bay scored 37 points. This time, however, the Bucks will rely on Bucky Irving to gain an advantage on the ground, exploiting weaknesses in their manager’s ability to stop runs.
And of course, there’s the always exciting matchup between Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore. I’m confident offensive coordinator Liam Cohen will move Evans around in a variety of ways.
It’s a mystery how the Bucks will try to slow Jaden Daniels down. Can Yaya Diaby continue his momentum after winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week? You can’t just buy Daniels time and let him find Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz downfield. The good news for the Bucs is that with safety Antoine Winfield Jr. back and cornerback Jamel Dean back, they’ll have a lot of holes to fill. It may take one big play on defense to accomplish that, but the Bucks have found it within themselves to win and move forward.
Matera match prediction: Bucks 33, Commanders 31
Matera’s season record: 11 wins, 6 losses
Bailey Adams: “Subordinates do a good enough job of thwarting their commanders.”
Bucks RB Bucky Irving – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
To be honest, I’ve been going back and forth about this matchup all week. I think this is a rare case where the Bucks like that they ended up pulling the Commander, and the Commander likes that they ended up pulling the Bucks. Both teams will have to take their chances in this game, and I think it will be a close game.
These are two of the best offenses in the NFL, but both teams’ defenses have been pretty shaky. That could lead to a high-scoring game. In fact, I think it will. But in the end, I think Tampa Bay will win.
On the offensive side, it’s difficult to place one of these units much above the others. But what I think can give the Bucs an edge is their run game. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is dangerous with his arms and legs, but I don’t like Washington’s chances of rushing against this Tampa Bay defense, at least not when Daniels escapes the pocket.
Conversely, I think Liam Cohen’s offense will be able to balance the passing game and run game well. Baker Mayfield is playing great football right now, and the combination of Bucky Irving and Rashard White should match up against the manager’s No. 30 ranked run defense. It’s hard to tell which of these offenses will bring the most buzz Sunday night, but the defense may have the same conundrum.
But for all of Tampa Bay’s defense’s flaws, Todd Bowles, like he did in the team’s 32-9 win over Philadelphia in last year’s wild-card game at Raymond James Stadium. Something tells me he’ll pull off another brilliant game plan on Sunday night. . It may not end up with the coach scoring just nine points, but I think the defense is doing enough to help the Bucs offense and continue this season. Oh, and don’t be surprised if Chase McLaughlin’s feet make the difference in this game.
Adams’ game prediction: Bucks 34, Commanders 28
Adams’ season record: 12 wins, 5 losses.
Josh Quaipo: Bucks return to divisional round with win
Bucks HC Todd Bowles, OC Liam Cohen – Photo by Cliff Welch P/R
Full disclosure. My prediction appears above Adam Slivon’s, but I was the last to enter my prediction. And it kills me to agree with all of my colleagues and come clean about predicting the Bucks to win. But I think that’s what really happens.
The Bucks have a better goal differential this season than the Commanders, +117 to +94. The Bucks are 7-2 in games decided by multiple scores. The managers have similar winning percentages, but have only participated in five such contests this year, showing that they have struggled to really separate their teams.
Where Washington excels is in the one-score game, going 8-4 on the year. But history has shown that these types of teams tend to revert to the mean over time – the 2022 Vikings come to mind. The Bucks hold an advantage in the grooves on both sides of the ball. And that should decide this match.
There’s no secondary that Liam Cohen couldn’t scheme playmakers into open, and damn Marshon Lattimore, but I don’t see that starting this week. Baker Mayfield has elevated his level in recent weeks, and an underreported aspect of his game is the fact that he has been a very good quarterback in the playoffs thus far, albeit in a small sample size. It is. The issue comes down to defense, but I think Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy approach will be enough for the Bucks to get a few key stops to win more than many think.
Quipo’s game prediction: Bucks 27, Commanders 19
Quipo season record: 10 wins, 7 losses
Adam Slivon: The Bucs’ offense is enough to defeat the commanders and advance.
Bucks safety Antwon Winfield Jr. – Photo courtesy of USA Today
On paper, the Bucks and Commanders have very good chemistry heading into Sunday night’s wild-card game. Tampa Bay ranks fourth in the NFL in offense and 16th in defense, while Washington ranks fifth and 18th in those categories, respectively. The home team has a slight statistical advantage over their opponents, but the offense, led by Baker Mayfield, really stands out. Mayfield has shown throughout the season that he can help the Bucks win in a variety of ways.
Many players would have put up a ton of points on the board, but he was able to make plays with whatever arsenal he had at his disposal. Led by an offense featuring first-team All-Pro Tristan Wirfs, that strong front will buy him time and give Bucky Irving plenty of space to make things happen. Combining his success through the air with playing against the No. 30 ranked rushing defense is a recipe for continued good times.
Bobby Wagner leads the Commanders’ defense, a unit that was exposed in Week 1 and allowed 37 points. The addition of cornerback Marshon Lattimore adds more intrigue, but until proven otherwise, offensive coordinator Liam Cohen will be the one to clear the air.
There are some questions about how Tampa Bay’s defense will perform. Facing the more comfortable Jaden Daniels. Daniels is a dynamic threat on the ground and in the air, and much of his recent production is a product of his elite efficiency making all types of throws. Stopping him is paramount, and bringing back Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jamel Dean bodes well for preventing Terry McLaurin from having a big day.
Lavonte David has the difficult task of keeping him in the pocket, making a blitz return and holding his own against Zach Ertz in a 34-year-old fight, but there’s still gas left in the tank for ‘LVD.’ I think so. I expect it to be a close game in the first half, but with the team’s playoff experience and being led by an igniter at quarterback, I think they can pull away late for a postseason win at home. I was able to do it.
Slivong’s game prediction: Bucks 31, Commanders 27
Srivon’s season record: 11 wins, 6 losses
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