TAMPA – The Washington Commanders continue to prove one thing this season: They are ahead of schedule. They also know how to win close games.

Washington, which won eight more games this season than it did a year ago, won another game with a dramatic late finish. The most recent – a 37-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez in a 23-20 win over Tampa Bay – gave Washington its first playoff win since 2005.

It’s become a habit for a team that likes to talk about “winning moments,” and coach Dan Quinn said he’s focused more on late-game situations in practice than at any point in his career.

It was important all season long. Few teams are tested in late game situations like Washington is. The Commanders finished the regular season with five straight wins – three of which came on the last play from scrimmage and a fourth that ended with Washington stopping a 2-point conversion on the final play of the game.

Earlier this season, Washington beat Chicago with a 52-yard Hail Mary pass at the buzzer and beat the New York Giants with a last-second field goal in Week 2.

The season represents a quick turnaround for a team that went 4-13 last season. The Commanders’ late-game success allowed them to go 12-5 in the regular season in Quinn’s first season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels played a big role in Sunday’s win, but the Washington defense allowed just 284 yards, slowing the Bucs’ potent offense.

Here are the key things to know from Sunday night for both teams:

Key game: For the fourth time in the game, Washington made a decision on fourth down. This time it was from the Tampa 5-yard line with 9:46 left. The Commanders had just failed on a four-and-goal from the 3, but this time Daniels connected with receiver Terry McLaurin for a touchdown and a 20-17 lead. It was McLaurin’s eleventh red zone touchdown catch of the season; he had 11 in his first five years together. The drive was initiated by linebacker Bobby Wagner’s fumble recovery at the Tampa 13.

QB distribution: Daniels didn’t look like a rookie playing his first playoff game. He completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for an additional 36 yards on 13 carries. He also made plays he couldn’t make in the season-opening loss to Tampa because of one big change: He looked down when he defended. This led to key plays, such as a 9-yard completion to tight end Zach Ertz on a third-and-6 from their own 12-yard line.

Worrying trend: Cornerback Marshon Lattimore hasn’t played as Washington had hoped in his two games against big receivers since being acquired from New Orleans before the trade deadline. On December 22, he was cited for three pass interference penalties against Philadelphia’s AJ Brown and one against Mike Evans on Sunday night. Evans was able to play against Lattimore whenever he needed to, making Lattimore look like a player who had played in just two games since Oct. 27 due to left hamstring issues. – John Keim

The Buccaneers should have tried while they had the chance.

With 4:45 left, they had a chance to tie or take the lead on fourth-and-3 at the Washington 14-yard line and scored a game-winning field goal to make it 20-20. ESPN Analytics disagreed with this decision and estimated the win probability at 46.1% (57.4% conversion chance) if they chose to do so, while their win probability on a field goal was 43.6% and the chance The rate of reaching the field goal was 93.2%.

After the Bucs tied it, Washington strung together chunk pass plays of 21, 18 and 8 yards, eating up valuable time in the process, setting up the Commanders’ game-winning 37-yard field goal.

Key game: After a hard-fought goal-line stand at the Tampa Bay 3 that preserved the Bucs’ 17-13 lead, Baker Mayfield botched a handoff that was recovered by Commanders linebacker Wagner at the Tampa Bay 13. Josh Hayes filled in for injured cornerback Jamel Dean and Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an in-route run to take the lead 20-17 with 9:46 left. It was the first time in six games that the Bucs allowed a touchdown in the second half.

Biggest gap in the game plan: The Bucs defense couldn’t get off the field. The Commanders were 8 of 15 in the third period, none better than Daniels’ goalkeeper on the right side in the final minute. Their zone defense struggled on plays down the field, including a 30-yard reception from Dyami Brown, and in-route plays like Brown’s 10-yard touchdown and 17- and 18-yard receptions from McLaurin. And then there were seven penalties for 65 yards.

Most surprising performance: Evans vs. Lattimore is usually a hard-fought matchup, but it was all about Evans. The Bucs’ top receiver caught all five targets, with Lattimore the closest defender for 73 yards and a touchdown. It was the second-highest reception total Evans had in his career against Lattimore, following a 115-yard performance in 2018. Evans had seven receptions for 92 yards on the night. – Jenna Laine