By R.L. Bynum
Dyami Brown picked an ideal time to have his best game of the season with a career-high reception total.
The fourth-year wide receiver caught a career-high five passes for a season-best 89 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown reception, as his Washington Commanders beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night 23–20 in an NFC wild-card game in Tampa, Fla.
“I’m just grateful even for that opportunity,” said Brown, who took over the No. 2 wide receiver spot in early December after Noah Brown (no relation) suffered a season-ending kidney injury. “I know the previous years it wasn’t like that. Just the opportunity I’ve been given, I’m grateful for.”
After averaging only 2.1 targets per game through 12 weeks, he got a season-high five targets in Week 13 and had at least three catches in four of his last five regular-season games.
Dyami Brown’s appearance during the postgame press conference starts at 30:00 in the above video.
Washington won it when Zane Gonzalez’s 37-yard field-goal attempt as time expired bounced off the right upright and through to advance the Commanders to a divisional-round game next weekend at Detroit at 8 p.m. Saturday (Fox). It was Washington’s first playoff victory since 2005.
Early in the game-winning drive, Brown jump-started the drive with a key 21-yard catch on a third-and-six at the Washington 34 to move Washington to midfield.
“We always preach finish,” Brown said. “We always want to finish in big-time moments, any type of situation. We work on these things daily. And just to be able to control the clock at the end and have control and be able to finish the way we did? We’re good.”
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Brown was the target of an incomplete pass to the end zone, but he drew a pass interference penalty against Tampa Bay.
With 9:26 left in the first half, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels found Brown alone in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard scoring pass to give Washington a 7–3 lead.
“I had an end route in the back of the end zone and they basically left me wide open. There’s not much to explain there,” Brown said.
Brown, who caught every pass targeted to him, also was part of the second-longest Washington play of the game, a 30-yard gain on a short pass with 12:48 left in the third quarter, and he caught a pass for 24 yards on the next play. That drive netted a 22-yard Gonzalez field goal, giving Washington a 13–10 lead.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in plays like that,” Brown said. “We believe in each other. We just want to go out there and be the best that we can be, and we believe in each other.”
Brown scored one touchdown in the entire regular season, that coming in Week 5 on Oct. 6 at home in a 34–13 victory over the Cleveland Browns when he caught two passes for 57 yards, including a 41-yard reception.
“There was a time when we had three losses in a row, and I know that was a tough time, and a lot of people didn’t believe in us, but we didn’t give up,” Brown said. “We always said this isn’t the end. We control what we have at the end of the day, and how we want our season to end. So, that’s how the brotherhood came together.”
Brown’s career-best game for receiving yards was in Washington’s 21–17 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 9, 2022, when he caught two passes for 105 receiving yards. His previous reception high was four, which he accomplished twice this season: when he had 35 yards in Week 13 on Dec. 1 in a 42–19 home win over Tennessee and 56 yards in Week 16 on Dec. 22 in a 36–33 win over Philadelphia.
The Buffalo Bills, with Mack Hollins and Mitch Trubisky, the Baltimore Ravens, with rookie wide receiver Tez Walker, and the Houston Texans, with M.J. Stewart, also won this weekend.
Hollins had one catch on two targets for 19 yards and one tackle on punt coverage in the Bills’ 31–7 Sunday home victory over Denver. After that catch, Hollins was whistled for a taunting penalty. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky came in for the last series and kneeled three times to run the clock out.
Running back Javonte Williams started for the Broncos, carrying the ball seven times for 29 yards and catching both passes targeted to him for 14 yards.
Williams’ contract expires, and he isn’t sure what’s ahead.
“I think about it all the time, but it’s not really too much that I just wonder about,” Williams said. “Everything will happen. Everything happens for a reason. So, however it turn out, I’ll be right.”
Walker had no statistics playing two offensive snaps and 18 special-teams snaps in the Ravens’ 28–14 home win Saturday over Pittsburgh.
The Ravens play at Buffalo in the divisional round at 6:30 Sunday (CBS).
Stewart played three defensive snaps and 23 special-teams snaps, recording an assist on kickoff coverage in the Texans’ 32–12 Saturday home win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Houston plays at 4:30 Saturday at Kansas City (ABC, ESPN)
In the final wild-card game of the weekend, Ty Chandler returned two kickoffs for 58 yards, including a 38-yard return, and had a tackle on punt coverage in Minnesota’s 27–9 loss Monday in Glendale, Ariz., to the Los Angeles Rams. Chandler played four offensive snaps and 11 special-teams snaps.
Dyami Brown, Washington Commanders wide receiver
Age 24 | 6–0, 195 | 4th NFL season | UNC 2018–20
Roster situation — Second-string wide receiver
Season statistics — 17 games, 35 catches, 397 yards (51 longest), 2 TDs; 3 carries, 25 yards (14 longest); 0 of 1 passing
23–20 Sunday win at Tampa Bay — 5 catches on 5 targets for 89 yards (30 longest), 1 TD; 45 offensive snaps (62%)
Up next — 8 p.m. Saturday at Detroit, Fox
Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings running back
Age 26 | 5–11, 204 | 3rd NFL season | UNC 2021
Roster situation — First-string kick returner behind Kene Nwangwu; second-string running back behind Aaron Jones
Season statistics — 17 games, 56 rushes, 182 yards (25 longest); 6 catches, 42 yards (10 longest); 8 kick returns, 205 yards; sacked once for a 1-yard loss; 3 special-teams tackles, 1 special-teams assist
27–9 Monday loss vs. Los Angeles Rams in Glendale, Ariz. — 2 kickoff returns, 58 yards (38 longest); 1 tackle on punt coverage; 4 offensive snaps (5%), 11 special-teams snap (21%)
Season over
Mack Hollins, Buffalo Bills wide receiver
Age 31 | 6–4, 221 | 8th NFL season | UNC 2013–16
Roster situation — Starting left wide receiver ahead of Keon Coleman
Season statistics — 17 games, 29 catches, 372 yards (44 longest), 5 TDs; 1 tackle; 2 special-teams tackles; 1 special-teams fumble recovery; 1 kickoff return, 38 yards
31–7 Sunday win vs. Denver — Didn’t start; 1 catch on 2 targets, 19 yards; 1 tackle on punt coverage; drew 15-yard penalty for taunting after his reception; 52 offensive snaps (68%), 6 special-teams snaps (27%)
Up next — 6:30 Sunday vs. Baltimore, CBS
M.J. Stewart, Houston Texans safety
Age 28 | 5–11, 205 | 7th NFL season | UNC 2014–17
Roster situation — Second-string strong safety
Season statistics — 15 games, 6 tackles, 1 assist; 2 tackles for losses; 1 fumble recovery, 2 special-teams tackles, 3 special-teams assist
32–12 Saturday win vs. Los Angeles Chargers — 1 assist on kickoff coverage; 3 defensive snaps (5%), 23 special-teams snaps (79%)
Up next — 4:30 Saturday at Kansas City, ABC, ESPN
Mitch Trubisky, Buffalo Bills quarterback
Age 30 | 6–2, 220 | 8th NFL season | UNC 2014–16
Roster situation — Second-string QB behind Josh Allen
Season statistics — 10 games, 19 of 26, 179 yards (20 longest), 2 TDs; 18 carries, -2 yards (8 longest)
31–7 Sunday win vs. Denver — 3 carries, -3 yards (kneeled three times); 5 offensive snaps (7%)
Up next — 6:30 Sunday vs. Baltimore, CBS
Tez Walker, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver
Age 23 | 6–1, 198 | rookie NFL season | UNC 2023
Roster situation — Second-string right wide receiver behind Rashod Bateman
Season statistics — 9 games, 1 catch on 1 target, 21 yards, TD; 2 special-teams tackles
28–14 Saturday win vs. Pittsburgh — 2 offensive snaps (3%), 18 special-teams snaps (78%)
Up next — 6:30 Sunday at Buffalo, CBS
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos running back
Age 24 | 5–10, 220 | 4th NFL season | UNC 2018–20
Roster situation — Third-string running back
Season statistics — 17 games, 141 carries, 514 yards (20 longest), 4 TDs; 51 catches, 310 yards (34 longest); 2 fumbles
31–7 Sunday loss at Buffalo — Started; 7 carries, 29 yards (6 longest); 2 catches on 2 targets, 14 yards (7 longest)
Season over
On PUP list
Pittsburgh linebacker Cole Holcomb (recovering from left knee injury)
On injured reserve
Houston running back British Brooks (had season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus)
Detroit wide receiver Antoine Green (concussion)
Photo via @Commanders
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