Todd Bowles: Commanders and Jayden Daniels are better now than when we beat them Week 1

When the Buccaneers beat the Commanders 37-20 in Week One, not many people thought it was a playoff preview. But the teams will meet again on Sunday night in the wild card round, and Bucs coach Todd Bowles says he’s preparing to face a very different opponent.

Bowles noted that Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was in the first start of his NFL. career and has developed significantly since then, and that the Bucs can’t expect the same type of game.

“That was his first time starting – the first game,” Bowles said of Daniels. “They’re a lot different, they’re a lot better all the way around. We’re a different team and they’re a different team so it’ll be a tough ball game. He can beat you a ton of ways, from the pocket, out of the pocket, with his legs, with his arms. They have a lot of characters around him that can really play ball so it’s going to be a tough game.”

In the Week One game, Daniels completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards, with no touchdowns, no interceptions and two sacks, and he also ran 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns. It was a solid first effort, but Daniels has grown significantly as a quarterback since then, and Bowles knows he’s preparing his defense this week for one of the most dangerous opponents in the NFL.