The 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers punched their ticket to the playoffs with a Week 18 win over the New Orleans Saints, a gritty comeback win that was punctuated by Mike Evans getting the final yards he needed to match a feat only previously accomplished by Jerry Rice. The postgame scene in the Buccaneers' locker room was jubilant, and players quickly donned their NFC South champion t-shirts and hats, but the elation probably had more to do with Evans' dramatic moment than the outcome of the game.

Evans' quest was complete. The Buccaneers' journey was just beginning.

"Yeah, I think most of the celebration after the game was for Mike," said rookie center Graham Barton. "Obviously, [we're] happy we won the division but I think that was just a box we checked for this season. Being able to move forward and looking to the playoffs, the main goals are still in front of us. [We're] happy we won the division obviously, but that's not like, 'Okay, we won the division. Now it doesn't matter.' It's, 'Now we're in the playoffs,' and so we have to win each and every week. It's win or go home so we're excited to do that and try to take advantage of the opportunity."

The Bucs are in the playoffs for a fifth straight season, and that run of five postseasons started with the 2020 run to victory in Super Bowl LV. In the three years that followed, Tampa Bay won its division but failed to make it back to the final game of the NFL season. Once again, the Bucs are setting their sights no lower than the raising of another Lombardi Trophy.

The first obstacle standing in the way is a 12-5 Washington Commanders squad that earned a Wild Card berth but is as dangerous as any of the division winners. The Buccaneers defeated the Commanders in the first week of the season, 37-20, before it was clear how much success Washington would find behind new Head Coach Dan Quinn and superstar rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders won seven of their next eight games after leaving Tampa and finished the season with a five-game winning streak as Daniels repeatedly delivered in clutch moments. Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles sees a different team than the one the his crew encountered four months ago.

"When you get a new coaching staff, you have to get better on both sides of the ball and get used to the system," said Bowles. "They've gotten really used to the system on both sides of the ball. They're playing confident. They were already talented. They've got experience and they've got young guys. The quarterback has gotten a lot of games under his belt and they're playing very good football."

Daniels rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns in that Week One contest in Tampa and hasn't slowed down since. He led the Commanders with 891 rushing yards, a league-high 548 of which were on scrambles. Meanwhile, he also threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns and compiled a 100.1 passer rating. The Buccaneers want to limit his rushing this time around but not at the expense of putting consistent pressure on him as a passer.

"It's huge," said Bowles of the balance his pass-rushers will need to strike between aggressively going after Daniels but also not letting him escape for long runs. "You try to tell them to be disciplined without trying to hold them back. There's a point where you're so disciplined that you're not really rushing the passer – that's not good either. It's got to be a good mix. Everybody has got to be on the same page and cover for each other. Again, a lot of people have tried and never done it. When you reach quarterbacks of that caliber that can move like that, you've got to pick and choose your spots to try and get it and hopefully get a lead and try to keep them off balance."

Daniels made the Pro Bowl as a rookie while the Buccaneers' veteran passer, Baker Mayfield, was named a first alternate. Mayfield also got off to a good start in that Week One win over Washington, completing 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 146.4 passer rating. He expects Washington to come in with a different game plan in the rematch and knows he and the offense have to work hard during the week to be prepared with answers.

"Especially when you're playing a team that you've already played, for me it's looking back at the tendencies, the certain things we did, the looks," said Mayfield. "You know they're going to have a different wrinkle in there for you so really paying attention to the details of it. To me, it comes down to knowing your game plan like the back of your hand, understanding where my answers are, the checks I can get to, the things I can do and communicating that throughout the week so it doesn't catch guys off guard."

For the second season in a row, the Buccaneers hit a midseason lull that put them on the verge of falling out of playoff contention. After a Week 11 bye, Tampa Bay then started treating every game like it was a playoff contest and won six of its last seven to secure its playoff spot. That string of wins with their backs against the wall has the Buccaneers heading into the postseason feeling like they have established an identity that will bode them well in what are actually now truly win-or-go-home games.

"We're tough, we're resilient," said Bowles. "We play hard and we're confident."

GAME AND BROADCAST DETAILS

Washington Commanders (12-5, #6 Seed) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7, #3 Seed)

Sunday, January 12, 8:15 p.m. ET

Raymond James Stadium (capacity: 65,844)

Tampa, Florida

Television: NBC

TV Broadcast Team: Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (reporter)

Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Flagship Station

Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. Rives (reporter)

Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente

Spanish Radio Broadcast Team: Carlos Bohorquez (play-by-play), Martin Gramática (analyst), Santiago Gramática (reporter)

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Coming to the game or enjoying pregame festivities? Check out our Buccaneers Gameday Page for everything you need to know about getting ready for the game, Tailgate Packages, Bucs Beach and more!

TICKETING INFORMATION

The 2024 season is underway and there are a limited number of Single Game Tickets on sale now! Visit Buccaneers.com to purchase tickets.

ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

This Sunday's game will mark the fourth time the Buccaneers have faced the Commanders in the postseason, making Washington their second most common playoff opponent behind Philadelphia (six games). The Buccaneers won two of the previous three meetings, in the Divisional Round in 1999 and in the Wild Card Round in 2020, while Washington captured a 2005 Wild Card round matchup over a division-winning Tampa Bay squad.

The most recent playoff meeting between the Bucs and Commanders launched Tampa Bay's run to Super Bowl LV and their second league championship. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke was pushed into the starting role for the Commanders in that Wild Card game by an injury to Alex Smith and he performed quite well to keep the game close to the very end, passing for 306 yards and rushing for another 46 and a touchdown. However, Tom Brady topped him with 381 yards and two touchdowns (one each to Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown) and Lavonte David sealed the game late with a third-down sack of Heinicke on Washington's final drive. In 2005, the Buccaneers' number-one ranked defense held Washington to 120 yards of offense but still lost, 17-10, thanks to an interception that led to a six-yard touchdown drive and a fumble that was returned 51 yards for a score and a 14-0 Giants lead in the first quarter.

The 1999 playoff game, the first postseason contest in Raymond James Stadium history, looked for much of way like it was going to send 11-5 Tampa Bay and it's fantastic defense to an early exit. Then John Lynch shifted the momentum with a third-quarter interception and Warren Sapp came up with a huge sack and forced fumble against Brad Johnson. Both of those turnovers led to touchdowns in a 14-13 comeback win.

In the regular season series, prior to the 2018 season Tampa Bay and Washington were dead even all time, with 10 wins apiece. Then Washington surged ahead with victories in 2018 and 2021, the first a 16-3 decision in Tampa and the second a 29-19 outcome at FedExField. The 2018 game was remarkable in a negative way for the home team, as the Buccaneers racked up 501 yards of offense but scored a total of three points on five trips into the red zone. That remains the only game in NFL history in which a team surpassed 500 yards of offense but scored three or fewer points. In the 2021 contest, Heinicke had another good game against the Bucs, completing 26 of 32 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, and the Washington defense picked Brady off twice.

The all-time Bucs-Commanders season is full of memorable moments, such as a two-point conversion gamble that won a 2005 shootout at Raymond James Stadium. After Chris Simms hit Edell Shepherd on a 30-yard touchdown pass with a minute left, Washington jumped offsides twice to try to block the game-tying extra point, so Jon Gruden sent the offense back out and Mike Alstott willed the ball over the line for a 36-35 win.

There was also a 17-16 Tampa Bay win in Washington in 2010 in which Donovan McNabb rallied the home team with a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass to Santana Moss with nine seconds left only to see the snap on the extra point go through the holder's hands. Washington won a contest in Tampa, 24-22, after Connor Barth made fields of 50, 57 and 47 yards. The visiting kicker, Billy Cundiff, meanwhile, missed his first three field goals but then drilled a 41-yarder to win it at the end.

And, of course, there was the 2015 game in Washington that turned quarterback Kirk Cousins into a meme. The Buccaneers led that game, 24-0, before Cousins engineered an incredible comeback in a 31-30 Washington win, prompting him to repeatedly yell, "You like that?" in front of a camera in the corridor as he ran back to the locker room.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

• Doug Williams, currently the senior advisor to Washington General Manager Adam Peters, is a member of the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers drafted Williams with the 17th overall pick in the 1978 draft and in just his second season he led the team to its first playoff berth in just the fourth year of the franchise's existence. Williams played five seasons for the Buccaneers before heading to the USFL in 1983. He later returned to the Bucs organization in the front office 2004, serving five seasons as a personnel executive and one as the director of pro personnel in 2009.
• Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles spent most of his eight-year playing career with the Washington franchise. He made the team as an undrafted free agent in 1986 and was a full-time starter by his second season, helping Washington win Super Bowl XXII at the end of that campaign. After five seasons in Washington, Bowles left for San Francisco for one season and then returned to his original NFL home for two more campaigns before moving into coaching.
• Martin Mayhew, who serves as a senior personnel executive/advisor to the GM for the Commanders, played cornerback for the Buccaneers from 1993-96. Mayhew signed with the Buccaneers in 1993, the NFL's first season of unrestricted free agency after four seasons in Washington and eventually played in 60 games with 59 starts for Tampa Bay, intercepting eight passes.
• Commanders Tight Ends Coach David Raih spent one season on Bowles' staff in Tampa, working as a senior offensive analyst in 2023.
• Darryl Tapp played 171 games in the NFL, playoffs included, and the very last three were in a Buccaneers' uniform. Tapp signed with Tampa Bay in October of 2017, logged those three contests with one start and two tackles, and was released in November. He is now in his first season as the Commanders' defensive line coach.
• Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols first entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick by the Buccaneers in 2017. He did not play any games for the Bucs but has since appeared in 37 NFL contests with four other teams. He is in his first season in Washington.

SENIOR COACHING STAFFS

Tampa Bay:

• Head Coach Todd Bowles

• Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen
• Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers
• Pass Game Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote
• Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey

Washington:

• Head Coach Dan Quinn

• Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury
• Defensive Coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.
• Special Teams Coordinator Larry Izzo

KEY 2024 ROSTER ADDITIONS

Buccaneers:

• C Graham Barton (1st-round draft pick)
• OLB Chris Braswell (2nd-round draft pick)
• G Ben Bredeson (UFA)
• TE Devin Culp (7th-round draft pick)
• S Mike Edwards (W-TEN)
• P Trenton Gill (FA)
• CB Bryce Hall (UFA…currently on injured reserve)
• CB Troy Hill (FA)
• RB Bucky Irving (4th-round draft pick)
• WR Kameron Johnson (UDFA…currently on injured reserve)
• LB Vi Jones (FA)
• G Elijah Klein (6th-round draft pick)
• WR Jalen McMillan (3rd-round draft pick)
• G Royce Newman (W-GB)
• S Tykee Smith (3rd-round draft pick)
• CB Tavierre Thomas (UFA)
• S Jordan Whitehead (UFA)

Commanders:

• Nick Allegretti (UFA)
• DE Dorance Armstrong (UFA)
• C Tyler Biadasz (UFA)
• G Brandon Coleman (3rd-round draft pick)
• QB Jayden Daniels (1st-round draft pick)
• CB Michael Davis (UFA)
• RB Austin Ekeler (UFA)
• TE Zach Ertz (FA)
• DE Clelin Ferrell (UFA)
• LB Dante Fowler (UFA)
• S Dominique Hampton (5th-round draft pick)
• DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (7th-round draft pick)
• CB Marshon Lattimore (T-NO)
• LB Frankie Luvu (UFA)
• LB Jordan Magee (5th-round draft pick)
• QB Marcus Mariota (UFA)
• WR Luke McCaffrey (3rd-round draft pick)
• DT Jer'Zhan Newton (2nd-round draft pick)
• WR K.J. Osborn (W-NE)
• CB Mike Sainristil (2nd-round draft pick)
• K Austin Seibert (FA)
• TE Ben Sinnott (2nd-round draft pick)
• LB Bobby Wagner (UFA)
• WR Olamide Zaccheaus (UFA)

ADDITIONAL 2024 CHANGES/DEVELOPMENTS OF NOTE

Buccaneers:

• As Todd Bowles navigates his third season as the Bucs' head coach he is working with his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Last year, Bowles picked former Seattle Quarterbacks Coach Dave Canales to replace Byron Leftwich, but Canales departed this offseason to take over as the head coach of the Panthers. Bowles then turned to Liam Coen, who comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree with the Rams and most recently was the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky. Three members of the Bucs' 2023 staff followed Canales to Carolina – Brad Idzik, Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert, which led to some other new additions on Bowles staff in 2024. Those include Offensive Line Coach Kevin Carberry, Pass Game Coordinator Josh Grizzard, Wide Receivers Coach Bryan McClendon and Assistant Offensive Line Coach Brian Picucci. In addition, long-time Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong retired in the offseason, so the Bucs brought in Thomas McGaughey as his replacement.
• Under Coen, the Buccaneers' offense employs quite a bit more pre-snap shifts and movement than it had in 2023, and Coen also has widened the variety of the types of runs the ground game employees. One of Coen's other key initiatives in an attempt to get a moribund rushing attack going was to give quarterback Baker Mayfield multiple plays to choose from in the huddle and at the line so that the offense runs into unfavorable looks less often.
• Despite having tight salary cap restrictions, the Buccaneers made it a priority to retain key players from the 2023 season who were scheduled to hit free agency. General Manager Jason Licht and his staff successfully checked off every item on their list of priorities, beginning with a new two-year deal for franchise icon Mike Evans. That helped bring the team's negotiations with quarterback Baker Mayfield to a conclusion. After Mayfield played the 2023 season on a one-year prove-it deal, his resurgence landed him a lucrative new multi-year contract. The Bucs were also able to re-sign linebacker Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin. With the other deals in the works, the Bucs used the franchise tag on safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and later inking him to a new contract making him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL.
• All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs didn't need a new contract for 2024 but he was entering the final year of his rookie deal and the Buccaneers were highly motivated to lock him in to a new long-term pact. That lengthy process came to a head on August 1, when the two sides agreed on a five-year extension that runs through the 2029 campaign and makes him the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL.
• In March, the Buccaneers traded cornerback Carlton Davis, who had started 75 games over six seasons with the team, to the Detroit Lions for a third-round pick in this year's draft. The Buccaneers eventually used that pick to select Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan.
• In a Week Seven Monday Night Football game against Baltimore, the Buccaneers' offense took several serious blows when both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans suffered significant injuries. Godwin, who at the time was leading the NFL with 50 receptions, sustained a dislocated ankle that will keep him out for at least the rest of the regular season, though he has spoken of the possibility of returning for the postseason if the Buccaneers make it into the field. Evans, who caught his 100th career touchdown pass earlier in the Ravens game, incurred a hamstring injury that caused him to miss three games before his return in Week 12.
• Tampa Bay's safety position was thinned by injuries during the final month of the season. Christian Izien landed on injured reserve in Week 17 due to a pectoral injury, while Antoine Winfield Jr. missed the last four games of the regular season due to a knee ailment. Prior to the team's Week 18 game, Jordan Whitehead was placed on the reserve/NFI list due to injuries he suffered in an auto accident.

Commanders:

• The Commanders parted ways with Head Coach Ron Rivera after four seasons and a 26-40-1 record, replacing him with Dan Quinn, who most recently served as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator for the past three seasons. This is Quinn's second shot at the head coach seat, having also guided the Falcons for six seasons (2015-20), a stint that included two playoff berths and one Super Bowl appearance. Quinn brought in former Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury to serve as the team's offensive coordinator and to work with ultra-mobile rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Joe Whitt, who previously worked with Quinn in both Atlanta and Dallas came aboard to run the defense. Other notable assistants on Quinn's staff include former Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn and former Raiders and Seahawks Defensive Coordinator Ken Norton Jr.
• The Commanders also overhauled the front office, bringing in former 49ers personnel man Adam Peters to serve as the general manager. Martin Mayhew, who previously had that title, remained with the team as a senior personnel executive.
• Peters was busy working the phones as the NFL-wide roster cutdown approached, swinging a pair of trades on the same day. One sent starting wide receiver Jahan Dotson, along with a 2025 fifth-round pick, to the division-rival Eagles in exchange for a third-round pick and two seventh-round selections, all in 2025. The other brought in kicker Cade York, whom Washington landed from the Browns in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick. The Commanders had originally intended to roll with former Jaguar Brandon McManus as their kicker in 2024 but ended up releasing him after he was accused of misconduct on a team plane with the Jaguars last season. They then signed Riley Patterson but left him go the same day they got York.
• Peters later swung another deal at the trade deadline, landing four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore in a trade with the Saints.
• As NFL free agency dawned in March, the Commanders created a list of 27 players who were either released or allowed to hit the open market without a new deal, development that is less surprising when a team has a brand new coaching staff. Only five of those 27 players subsequently re-signed with the team: wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Byron Pringle, tackle Cornelius Lucas, defensive end Efe Obada (currently on PUP list). The 22 players who did not return included nine who started at least seven games for Washington last year, such as safety Kamren Curl, CB Kendall Fuller, LB Cody Barton and wide receiver Curtis Samuel. It also included last year's backup quarterback, Jacoby Brissett, who is in line to start for New England this season.
• Washington gave their quarterback room a full makeover. In addition to letting Brissett leave in free agency, the Commanders also traded last year's starter, Sam Howell, to Seattle, along with fourth and sixth-round picks, in exchange for third and fifth-rounders. Washington then selected LSU star Jayden Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, with the third overall selection and named him the starter for Week One. The new number-two on the QB depth chart is Marcus Mariota, who was Jalen Hurts' backup in Philadelphia last season. Washington only kept two quarterbacks on the roster during the regular season in 2023, but they gave themselves plenty of options for a third passer in 2024 between Jeff Driskel, Sam Hartman and Trace McSorley. Driskel earned a spot on the active roster and Hartman stuck around on the practice squad.

INJURY REPORT

Key:

DNP: Did not participate in practice

LP: Limited participation in practice

FP: Full participation in practice

NL: Not listed

Buccaneers:

• TE Devin Culp (ribs) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• LB Lavonte David (knee) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP
• CB Jamel Dean (knee) – WEDS: LP; THURS: LP
• S Mike Edwards (quadriceps) – WEDS: LP; THURS: LP
• WR Mike Evans (rest) – WEDS: LP; THURS: DNP
• DL Will Gholston (knee) – WEDS: FP; THURS: LP
• DL Logan Hall (groin) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: LP
• CB Josh Hayes (ribs) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• CB Tony Hill* (knee/foot) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• RB Bucky Irving (shoulder/shin) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• WR Jalen McMillan (finger) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• TE Cade Otton (knee) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP
• WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring/foot) – WEDS: LP; THURS: LP
• S Tykee Smith (personal) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: FP
• S Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• T Tristan Wirfs (quadriceps) – WEDS: LP; THURS: LP

(In 21-day practice window for return from injured reserve.)

Commanders:

• TE John Bates (shoulder) – WEDS: FP; THURS: LP
• C Tyler Biadasz (ankle) – WEDS: LP; THURS: LP
• S Jeremy Chinn (rib) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP
• T Brandon Coleman (knee) – WEDS: LP; THURS: FP
• WR Jamison Crowder (hamstring) – WEDS: LP; THURS: LP
• QB Jayden Daniels (quadriceps) – WEDS: FP
• TE Zach Ertz (rest) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP
• DE Clelin Ferrell (knee/rest) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: LP
• OLB Dante Fowler (rest) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP
• CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• T Cornelius Lucas (groin) – WEDS: LP; THURS: LP
• LB Frankie Luvu (shoulder) – WEDS: FP; THURS: LP
• LB Jordan Magee (hamstring) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• S Quan Martin (illness) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP
• WR Terry McLaurin (rest) – WEDS: DNP; THURS: DNP
• TE Colson Yankoff (hamstring) – WEDS: FP; THURS: FP

(In 21-day practice window for return from injured reserve.)

WEATHER FORECAST

Mostly cloudy in the evening. High of 64, low of 52, 24% chance of rain, 76% humidity, winds out of the ENE at 4 mph.

GAME REFEREE

Head referee: Craig Wrolstad (22nd season, 11th as referee)

BETTING LINE

• Favorite: Buccaneers (-3.0)
• Over/Under: 50.5

INDIVIDUAL REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS IN 2024

Buccaneers-

Points Scored: K Chase McLauglin, 144

Touchdowns: WR Mike Evans 11

Passing Yards: QB Baker Mayfield, 4,500

Passer Rating: QB Baker Mayfield, 106.8

Rushing Yards: RB Bucky Irving, 1,122

Receptions: WR Mike Evans, 74

Receiving Yards: WR Mike Evans, 1,004

Interceptions: CB Zyon McCollum/S Tykee Smith, 2

Sacks: DL Calijah Kancey, 7.5

Tackles: LB Lavonte David, 121

Commanders-

Points Scored: K Austin Seibert, 103

Touchdowns: WR Terry McLaurin, 13

Passing Yards: QB Jayden Daniels, 3,568

Passer Rating: QB Jayden Daniels, 100.1

Rushing Yards: QB Jayden Daniels, 891

Receptions: WR Terry McLaurin, 82

Receiving Yards: WR Terry McLaurin, 1,096

Interceptions: CB Mike Sainristil, 2

Sacks: DE Dante Fowler, 10.5

Tackles: LB Bobby Wagner, 132

TEAM REGULAR SEASON STAT RANKINGS IN 2024

Buccaneers-

Scoring Offense: 4th (29.5 ppg)

Total Offense: 3rd (399.6 ypg)

Rushing Offense: 4th (149.2 ypg)

Passing Offense: 3rd (250.4 ypg)

First Downs Per Game: 2nd (23.2)

Third-Down Pct.: 1st (50.9%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 17th (7.01%)

Red Zone TD Pct.: 4th (66.7%)

Scoring Defense: 16th (22.6 ppg)

Total Defense: 18th (341.8 ypg)

Rushing Defense: 4th (97.8 ypg)

Passing Defense: 29th (243.9 ypg)

First Downs Allowed Per Game: 20th (19.8)

Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 14th (38.1%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 16th (7.30%)

Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 14th (54.4%)

Turnover Margin: t-20th (-5)

Commanders-

Scoring Offense: 5th (28.5 ppg)

Total Offense: 7th (369.6 ypg)

Rushing Offense: 3rd (154.1 ypg)

Passing Offense: 17th (215.6 ypg)

First Downs Per Game: 4th (22.4)

Third-Down Pct.: 6th (45.6%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 26th (9.52%)

Red Zone TD Pct.: 6th (63.4)

Scoring Defense: 18th (23.0 ppg)

Total Defense: 13th (326.9 ypg)

Rushing Defense: 30th (137.5 ypg)

Passing Defense: 3rd (189.5 ypg)

First Downs Allowed Per Game: 19th (19.7)

Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 15th (38.2%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 5th (8.67%)

Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 22nd (60.4%)

Turnover Margin: 15th (+1)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• WR Mike Evans has played in nine playoff games for the Buccaneers, in which he has scored total of five touchdowns, the third most in the franchise's postseason history. One more would tie him with Leonard Fournette for second place and two more would equal Mike Alstott's record of seven.
• Evans, LB Lavonte David, CB Jamel Dean, DL Will Gholston and OLB Anthony Nelson have all played nine postseason games for Tampa Bay. With one more, they would all tie Mike Alstott, Rondé Barber and Shelton Quarles for the second most in team history. Derrick Brooks holds the current record with 11.
• QB Baker Mayfield needs 187 passing yards on Sunday to surpass Brad Johnson (872) for the second most in Bucs' playoff history, behind Tom Brady's 2,012.
• TE Cade Otton has 212 receiving yards in the postseason for Tampa Bay and needs just 15 more to move past Rob Gronkowski (226) into the top spot all time among Buccaneer tight ends. Cameron Brate is in between those two with 221 receiving yards.
• S Mike Edwards has two postseason interceptions with the Buccaneers. He needs just one more to tie the following players for the most in franchise playoff history: Donnie Abraham, Dexter Jackson, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Dwight Smith.

NOTABLY QUOTABLE

• Head Coach Todd Bowles on RB Bucky Irving leading the NFL in yards after contact and his toughness as a rusher: "It says a lot about him. He's a complete football player. He's one of the toughest smaller guys I've seen since I've been in the league. [Whether] making guys miss or shoving guys off or spinning out of things or doing whatever he does to make extra yards has been great for us, and he takes care of the football while he's at it. That's special."
• Quarterback Baker Mayfield on if he has always been the type of person to ignore stats or social media: "That's been a growing process. To say that I've always been like that would be a lie. I used to keep a lot of notes and try to prove people wrong but that's not the way to go about life. You have to believe in yourself, you have to move on and play for each other. I keep talking to you guy guys about – this is the greatest team sport, I love this group so how can I do my job the best? To perform for them, to be prepared and that's blocking out the outside noise and the easiest way to do that is to just not have it."
• Center Graham Barton on Baker Mayfield being a first alternate for the Pro Bowl instead of one of three quarterbacks already selected: "I'd say somebody got it wrong. I haven't totally looked at all that stuff, but I think it's hard to argue he hasn't been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this year. Obviously he deserves that [Pro Bowl honor]. I'm not really sure who got sent, but it would be hard to convince me that he doesn't belong there. Baker's been excellent all year."
• Wide receiver Jalen McMillan on where he's improved the most during the course of his rookie season: "I think how I go about my daily habits. Just how I approach every day, the way I practice and stay heavy on the details."
• Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby on if this team is more confident now going into the playoffs then they were a year ago: "I feel like the guys like me and Calijah [Kancey] – this being our second time being in the playoffs, now we know what we have to do. We got a win last year against the Eagles so we know what it takes to win. I feel like we're going to bring some great juice."
• Bowles on the Buccaneers having the largest year-over-year improvement in yards per rush of any team in the Super Bowl era: "It keeps the defense off the field, No. 1. It eats clock up, it keeps their offense off the field, and it helps us in the passing game. If you have to double guys on the outside, we'll just try to keep running it on the inside; if you loosen it up on the outside, we'll throw it there. It really helps us in a lot of areas."