Skip to content
Pro Football Mania Pro Football Mania

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Commanders: PFM Team Comparison

There is almost no separation between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Commanders in the current PFM ratings. Tampa Bay's best argument is defense; Washington's is qb stability. Only 0.1 points separate Tampa Bay and Washington in PFM Team Score.

Current PFM Team Scores

Essentially evenTB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

78.6PFM Team Score#20 NFL
Essentially evenWSH

Washington Commanders

78.7PFM Team Score#19 NFL
Swap Teams Clear Comparison
PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Commanders So Close

Only 0.1 points separate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Commanders in the current PFM ratings. Tampa Bay's strongest argument is Defense. Washington's strongest argument is QB Stability. PFM keeps the teams in the essentially-even range.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Tampa Bay vs. Washington Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
WSHWashington Commanders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Commanders Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 80.1, Washington Commanders 84.8, edge WSH +4.7; Offense: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 81.4, Washington Commanders 82.2, edge WSH +0.8; Defense: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.2, Washington Commanders 75.2, edge TB +4.0; Coaching Direction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.6, Washington Commanders 79.3, edge WSH +2.7; Roster Depth: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.1, Washington Commanders 78.7, edge TB +0.4. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
Hover or tap a team to focus that profile. Use Show Both to bring the overlay back.
THE BETTER CASE

Where Each Team Has the Better Case

Only 0.1 points separate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Commanders in the current PFM ratings.

The Buccaneers can lean on their defense more than the Commanders can. That creates a better floor when the offense stalls or field position turns against the team. Jayden Daniels gives the Washington Commanders the steadier quarterback room. That lets the offense stay on schedule without asking the rest of the team to cover constant uncertainty. Neither argument creates enough separation to move the overall judgment out of the essentially-even range.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

TB78.6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.6
WSH78.7
Washington Commanders 78.7
Essentially even

Overall NFL Rank

TB#20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #20
WSH#19
Washington Commanders #19
Washington Commanders ranks higher

QB Stability

TB80.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 80.1
WSH84.8
Washington Commanders 84.8
Clear Washington Commanders edge

Roster Strength

TB79.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.1
WSH78.7
Washington Commanders 78.7
Slight Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Coaching Direction

TB76.6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.6
WSH79.3
Washington Commanders 79.3
Clear Washington Commanders edge

Recent Performance

TB76.7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.7
WSH68.3
Washington Commanders 68.3
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Offense

TB81.4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 81.4
WSH82.2
Washington Commanders 82.2
Slight Washington Commanders edge

Defense

TB79.2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.2
WSH75.2
Washington Commanders 75.2
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Franchise Direction

TB75.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75.1
WSH77.6
Washington Commanders 77.6
Clear Washington Commanders edge

Explosiveness

TB81.9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 81.9
WSH78.8
Washington Commanders 78.8
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Conference Rank

TB#10
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #10
WSH#9
Washington Commanders #9
Washington Commanders ranks higher

Division Rank

TB#1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #1
WSH#2
Washington Commanders #2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranks higher

Outlook

TBIn the Playoff MixWSHIn the Playoff Mix
Same outlook
TEAM CONSTRUCTION

How These Teams Are Built Differently

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Strongest Rating
Explosiveness
Category Edge
Defense
Biggest Matchup Concern
QB Stability

Tampa Bay's clearest category edge is Defense. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers own the stronger defense against the Washington Commanders. More dependable stops give the offense better field position and keep one bad drive from controlling the day. The biggest problem in this matchup is QB Stability, where Washington owns the clearer advantage.

Washington Commanders

Strongest Rating
QB Stability
Category Edge
QB Stability
Biggest Matchup Concern
Defense

Washington's clearest category edge is QB Stability. Quarterback is the clearest separator. Jayden Daniels gives Washington more certainty than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have at the position. The biggest problem in this matchup is Defense, where Tampa Bay owns the clearer advantage.

SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Remaining schedule rank: #26

Toughest stretch: Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions

Strongest opponents: Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers

Next five difficulty: 78.1

View Tampa Bay Buccaneers Road Ahead

Washington Commanders

Remaining schedule rank: #18

Toughest stretch: San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams

Strongest opponents: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers

Next five difficulty: 80.9

View Washington Commanders Road Ahead

Washington has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 18. The strongest opponents include Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers. Tampa Bay gains one meaningful schedule advantage, while Washington still owns the stronger football advantages elsewhere.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated September 8, 2026. Schedule data updated September 10, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams