It’s early, but the 2024 Washington Commanders look a lot like the 2023 version, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trounced Washington 37-20 in Week 1.
The Buccaneers jumped on Washington early, with quarterback Baker Mayfield having his way with the Commanders’ retooled defense. At one point in the first half, Mayfield completed 12 consecutive passes, helping the Buccaneers jump out to a 13-0 lead.
Washington finally got something going offensively, as quarterback Jayden Daniels used his legs to set up the Commanders’ first touchdown, a Brian Robinson Jr. touchdown run, to cut the lead to 13-7.
However, the theme of the day was Washington’s inability to get off the field, particularly on third down. On at least four occasions, the Commanders committed penalties on third down. And when they weren’t committing penalties, they watched helplessly as the Buccaneers would easily convert third-and-longs to keep drives alive.
The second half was more of the same for the Commanders on both sides of the ball. Mayfield threw to wide-open targets, which led Washington to bench 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes.
In one sequence, linebacker Bobby Wagner stopped the Bucs behind the line of scrimmage on consecutive plays, creating a loss of seven yards. How did Mayfield respond? With a 24-yard completion to wide receiver Chris Godwin.
It was not the best debut for Daniels as a passer. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards. However, he did rush for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
As a team, Tampa Bay outgained Washington 392-299.
It was a tough all-around day for the Commanders, who fell to 0-1. Next week, Washington returns home to Northwest Stadium to host the New York Giants in an NFC East battle.