The “Cardiac Commanders” narrowly left the Buccaneers behind with 23:20 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs and once again made hearts beat faster. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, linebacker Bobby Wagner and kicker Zane Gonzalez all rose to the occasion and helped Washington to its first playoff win since 2006.

It was another special appearance for Daniels, who continues to cut the image of a multi-year NFL veteran rather than a rookie every time he steps on the field. Although it was the No. 5 seed’s first-ever NFL playoff game, Daniels was engaging but calm, quick-thinking and poised throughout the affair at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa Bay, which ranked sixth in the league in sacks entering the game, put pressure on the rookie, trying to speed up his process, if not bring him down awkwardly. For the most part, Daniels was unfazed by this approach, as he either used his legs to escape the rush or was one step ahead with his passes to receivers.

Daniels fired shots at the Buccaneers defense in the first quarter, leading a 92-yard, 17-play drive that clocked in at 9:08 and gave Washington its first lead. That drive ended with Daniels’ first playoff touchdown, a 10-yard touchdown to Dyami Brown.

The quarterback’s second touchdown of the night came in the fourth quarter when – stop us if you’ve heard this before – the game was on the line late and Daniels stepped up to give his team the win. With just under ten minutes to play, the quarterback hit McLaurin on fourth-and-2 for a five-yard touchdown to take the lead.

After that, the action in the fourth quarter was far from over for the Commanders’ offense. With less than five minutes to play and the game tied at 20, Daniels orchestrated another game-winning drive with highlights including a 21-yard pass to Dyami Brown and a game-winning scramble for first down on third-and-1. The 10-play, 51-yard march down the field gave Zane Gonzalez the three points that secured the victory.

In the win, the first NFL playoff win by a rookie QB since 2012, Daniels completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards, two passing touchdowns and a 68.6 completion percentage. He also had 36 rushing yards on 13 carries – the most yards thrown by a quarterback in a postseason game in Washington history. This is truly the postseason debut.