Timing issues cost Buccaneers a playoff win vs. Commanders, a breakdown
What Happened
In a closely contested NFC Wild Card playoff matchup, the Washington Commanders take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game comes down to the wire, with the Commanders trailing by four points in the fourth quarter. On 4th and goal, the Commanders attempt to take the lead, but a pass interference call goes uncalled, and they turn the ball over on downs. Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady (the Buccaneers) then fumbles the ball on their own 13-yard line, giving the Commanders excellent field position. Washington capitalizes, scoring a touchdown to take a 20-17 lead. The Buccaneers have a chance to tie the game, but poor timing and execution on a 3rd and 1 play forces them to settle for a field goal, knotting the score at 20-20 with 4:41 remaining. The Commanders get the ball back and drive down the field, setting up a potential game-winning field goal attempt for kicker Dustin Hopkins. As Hopkins prepares to kick, the television broadcast captures his unique pre-kick routine, where he meticulously adjusts his helmet and hair before lining up. Hopkins, who has openly discussed his struggles with OCD, explains that these quirky rituals help him stay focused and composed in high-pressure situations. Hopkins' 48-yard field goal attempt splits the uprights, giving the Commanders a 23-20 lead with just 3 seconds left on the clock. The Buccaneers have one final chance, but their desperation heave falls incomplete, sealing the victory for Washington and ending Tampa Bay's season. The NFC Wild Card matchup between the Commanders and Buccaneers was a thrilling, down-to-the-wire affair, with both teams fighting hard for a chance to advance in the playoffs. Ultimately, it was Washington's ability to capitalize on Tampa Bay's miscues and Hopkins' clutch field goal that propelled the Commanders to the narrow 23-20 win over the defending Super Bowl champions.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentWildcard Weekend has come and gone this
was our closest finish this breakdown is
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Fourth and goal Washington is down four
they say we're going for it we're going
to take the lead they do not they turn
it over on Downs they say but pass
interfer
[Laughter]
uhh pass
interference that shot looks clean this
shot is uh uh I don't not playing the
ball
contact uh p no they don't get it so
it's a turnover on Downs now the Bucks
have the ball and they can go downfield
they could take their time they can kill
clock or they can fumble it give the
ball right back on their own 13 yd line
that's what they did not great Commander
is great for them why punt it when you
can just turn it over on Downs then
recover the fumble Baker Todd they're
upset you know frell's blowing kisses
one kiss let's see how many kisses he
blows here number 90 phell he goes okay
that's one with the right hand then he's
going to go two Kisses one two that's
three four with the left 56 double and
78 eight kisses blown
Baker what happened they were just a
touch off a lot of snaps in the fourth
quarter or maybe the whole game for the
bucks they were just the timing just
wasn't there he goes to put it in
running back's hands and just it's a hip
fumble not as bad as the butt
fumble from 2012 was that but it's on
the ground I think Wagner recovered it
so they've got field positioning now and
the Bucks just have a lot to think about
o don't hurt your hand Baker be smart
could be tough grass
Todd don't like that it says my bad
that's my bad what does Washington do
with this sudden found field position
they score touchdown the touchdown they
were trying to score earlier this time
they get it no pass interference
Gonzalez with the extra point splits the
uprights they take a 20-7 lead now Tampa
Bay did go down the field they have
second and one on their own 11 and that
play should have should have got first
down but it's Wagner again you've got a
lot of bees here okay you've got the
snap to Baker who's going to fake
handoff to Bucky and Bucky is going to
run and he Bucky is blocking for Baker
but Bucky runs into Bobby and can't hold
him back and Bobby storms through Bucky
and then holds up Baker and stops them
from converting the first down now it's
third and inches and they need this they
want to score and take the lead they
don't want to settle for a field goal
but what happens is the timing on the
snap is all sorts of botched and they
don't get anywhere they actually lose
yard you can see the center snaps it and
right here and no one else has moved and
no one else has still moved and no one
else has still moved and you on the
audio you hear Baker that was like the
hard count and then there was a soft Hut
after that and uh not
good not good it almost made something
happen had the roll out stti far come on
guys this is oh not good so they got to
settle for the field goal to tie the
game and then there's like four minutes
left they get the field goal so now it's
a tie game with foures and 41 seconds to
go but Washington has the ball they run
it all the way down to 55 seconds they
go downfield it's third and one they
pick this up they can kill clock and set
up the field goal and they're going to
run the old cool casual I'm handing it
off to you no I'm going to run cany
jumps it he gets nothing but towel he
can't believe it I mean it's pretty he
can't believe it watch this so he storms
through and he gets nothing but towel
hangs on to the towel for a while 94 and
then you see him put his hands on his
head he like oh my goodness just right
hand flag football you're [ __ ] done
Daniels he's got you but it's not flag
football and that's just your towel at
the end of the run I was like does he
hold on to the towel the whole way it's
kind of funny he's running with QB's
towel and then at the end when he gets
upset he puts his hands on his head and
then he just Chucks the towel he's like
[ __ ] out of here towel you didn't even
help me oh wow he hits he hits the
opposing player with the towel onsports
him like throwing laundry at other
players not cool they're just going to
get it in a little better position for
their kicker now they have a chance to
win the game Baker's upset he doesn't
want to watch Todd staring off in the
distance they run the clock down to 3
seconds and in comes Zane Gonzalez for
the game-winning kick and this caught a
lot of people's eye got a lot of
attention putting the helmet on fixing
the hair putting the helmet on no fixing
the hair putting the helmet on people
thought it was just kind of a routine or
Superstition in baseball Cricket the
slower games there's tons of little
superstitious routines like this because
I think there's way more time to think
in those Sports because it's slower you
don't see it in hockey and football the
faster Pace between the line sports but
Cricket baseball you got batters that do
this stuff nonstop and everyone else
just knows more of it as like a quirky
routine this isn't that zann Gonzalez
has a history of OCD and he's talked
about openly before he said it's a lot
of little things I do uh my family knows
little motor ticks and they'll catch me
doing it for the most part I've learned
to hide them or make them casual nobody
really knows it makes you more of a
perfectionist which you need to be as a
kicker I've just accepted it and learned
to make it a better trait what else can
you do but accept it uh it's working out
for you zanen you are a pro kicker and
you got a chance to send your team to
the next round coach is looking on like
I don't want to watch I do want to watch
I don't want to watch I do want to watch
okay I'll watch pressure's mounting NBC
didn't show a single fan shot in the
entire fourth quarter what are you doing
just just if I can get my soap box for
10 seconds show the fans show the
passion what are we doing not a single
fan shot the whole fourth quarter anyway
snap balls down kick is up and end over
end over end over and over and and
d and through oh the baited breath that
comes with a dink is so
funny they get through to the divisional
round last second game win field goal
Zayn smile dude it's like he was
reluctant to smileing and then you have
oh
frustration once you have that dink you
get this hopeful and then it falls
through and you're like that was such
false hope and takes the headset off and
kind of the same face he had the entire
game and
[Music]
boom and through good times for the
Commanders not for the
Buccaneers what's a commander would they
beat a Buccaneer in a fight thank you
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