Baker Mayfield’s fumble gives the Commanders a 20-17 lead

The Buccaneers held the Commanders out of the end zone for once. Baker Mayfield asked them to do it twice, and they came up one play short.

Jayden Daniels’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin on fourth-and-goal gave the Commanders a 20-17 lead with 9:46 remaining.

Less than five minutes earlier, the Bucs had left the field holding the Commanders out of the end zone, and Washington went scoreless on first-and-goal from the 1. Daniels threw an incompletion and Calijah Kancey stopped Brian Robinson for a 2-yard loss before back-to-back incompletions by Daniels . Lavontae David could have been called for defensive pass interference on the fourth play when he was holding Zach Ertz.

The Commanders, however, got the ball back when Mayfield fumbled on an exchange with no one around him. Bobby Wagner recovered at Tampa Bay on the 13th.

The Commanders cashed in and the Bucs gave up a touchdown in the second half for the first time in six games. Tampa Bay has allowed a total of nine points in the second half of its previous five games.

The Bucs will have to play the rest of the game without cornerback Jamel Dean (knee).