Washington Football Team rookie defensive end Chase Young said all week, "Tom Brady, I'm coming!" and "I want Tom!" But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, playing in his 42nd postseason game and first with the Bucs at age 43, didn't take the bait from last year's No. 2 overall draft pick, offering only the slightest hint of a smirk.

But instead of taking down the six-time Super Bowl winner, Young finished Saturday night's NFC wild-card game with no sacks and was congratulating Brady after the Bucs' 31-23 win.

Brady led the Bucs to their first playoff appearance since 2007 and first playoff win since they won Super Bowl XXXVII after the 2002 season.

Against Washington's vaunted pass rush, which amassed 47.0 sacks in the regular season, Brady dropped back and took deep shots, completing 22 of 40 passes for 381 Yards and two touchdowns. And he did so without starting running back Ronald Jones, who suffered a quad injury in warmups, and without right guard Alex Cappa, who left the game with an ankle injury.

On his first touchdown, Brady looked off Washington safety Jeremy Reaves and found Antonio Brown on a wheel route for a 36-yard score. He then hit Chris Godwin on a play-action pass where Godwin crossed the middle of the field for a 27-yard touchdown.

It wasn't smooth sailing. Washington backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who stepped in for Alex Smith, was able to get some chunk plays when the Bucs got aggressive but couldn't get home and made this an uncomfortably close game. Bucs coach Bruce Arians suggested that his players might have relaxed too much knowing they were facing a backup.

Washington also came within two points of the Bucs at the end of the third quarter, after rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn fumbled in the third quarter with 5:53 to go, with Duron Payne punching the ball loose and Jon Bostic recovering it. Heinicke then evaded the rush from Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul for an 8-yard touchdown run.

There were missed opportunities for the Bucs. When the Bucs went with an empty backfield in the red zone, Brady was sacked by Payne, forcing the Bucs to settle for a field goal. Godwin also had an uncharacteristic three drops. A shaky third quarter gave Washington nine unanswered points, and Heinicke added to that with an 11-yard touchdown to Steven Sims in the fourth. But Lavonte David notched a sack on third-and-10 for an 11-yard loss with 2:22 to go.

The Bucs' next opponent won't be decided until Sunday, but it will be a rematch with a team they've already faced this season.

With the LA Rams defeating the Seattle Seahawks Saturday 30-20, the Bucs would host the Rams next week at home if the Chicago Bears can beat the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs lost to the Rams 27-24 in Week 11. If the Bears fall to the Saints, the Bucs would face the Saints on the road. The Bucs were swept by the Saints this season, and are 0-4 against the Saints since Bruce Arians became head coach in 2019.