Do the Bucs stop them here?

Commanders savor playoff rematch, but face a significant challenge.

Associated Press photo

Eighteen weeks is enough time to begin planning a gender reveal. It’s also a sufficient period to learn to swim or play a musical instrument with some proficiency.

And it’s plenty long enough for a football team to mature. That’s why on Sunday night, the Washington Commanders will return to Raymond James Stadium as a much different squad than the one that was trounced by the Buccaneers 37-20 in their season opener 126 days earlier.

Back in September, the world didn’t know what Washington had in Jayden Daniels. The Commanders themselves probably didn’t completely appreciate him, either, because he’d had limited preseason experience against live competition.

Now, Daniels is the presumptive NFL offensive rookie of the year and, assuming full health, will give Dan Quinn’s squad a good chance of winning the prime-time playoff rematch.

He’s shown poise beyond his years and possesses the clutch gene that seems to reside in the league’s best quarterbacks. Perhaps even more importantly, he’s brought out the best in Terry McLaurin and revitalized Zach Ertz’s career. The lights will not be too bright for him.

Still, Washington’s chances of earning its first playoff victory in 19 years don’t rest solely on Daniels’ slender shoulders. He’s helped cover for his team’s flaws, but those weaknesses tend to get exposed in the postseason. And if the Commanders can’t overcome them, this playoff run may be just as short as each of the team’s last four.

Start with a run defense that’s ranked 30th in the NFL and allows 4.8 yards per carry, more than any playoff team. That should be music to the ears of Bucky Irving, who averages 5.4 yards a pop and led all NFL rookies with 1,222 rushing yards this season.

Load up the box to stop the run, though, and the Commanders risk leaving Tampa’s Mike Evans with one-on-one coverage. He burned Washington for two touchdown catches from Baker Mayfield in the opener.

Marshon Lattimore was in New Orleans at that time. When healthy, he’s one of the league’s best coverage cornerbacks. The Commanders acquired him at the trade deadline for just such an assignment, but he’s struggled with hamstring issues and may not be at full speed Sunday night.

Then there’s a Washington run game that ranks third in the league but features Daniels (891 yards) as its leading ground gainer. Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols haven’t been as effective lately, especially since center Tyler Biadasz suffered an ankle injury.

Expect the Bucs to use a spy (maybe linebacker Lavonte David?) to try to minimize Daniels’ running. And if the Commanders get into third-and-long situations, Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles will blitz Daniels relentlessly.

Washington’s franchise hasn’t experienced playoff success in nearly two decades, but Quinn has coached in Super Bowls as a head coach and an assistant, and veterans like Ertz and Bobby Wagner have rings.

If the Commanders manage to hang around until the fourth quarter, they will expect to win. They’ve pulled out several games that previous editions of this franchise wouldn’t have had a chance in, and Daniels’ confidence seems contagious. But a big early deficit could make them one-dimensional and complicate Daniels’ task.

Win or lose Sunday, the Commanders are trending in the right direction. They have stockpiled draft picks and salary cap space, especially with Daniels’ rookie contract, and finally have competent leadership.

But nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, which former Falcons coach Jerry Glanville half-jokingly claimed stands for “Not For Long.” If the Commanders don’t deliver, their magical season could end in the same place it began — with a similar result.