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Redskins vs. Buccaneers: Week 10 offense and defense matchups, score prediction

By Jacob Camenker

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 28: Shawn Lauvao #77 of the Washington Redskins in action against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 28, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 28: Shawn Lauvao #77 of the Washington Redskins in action against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 28, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 28: Shawn Lauvao #77 of the Washington Redskins in action against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 28, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 28: Shawn Lauvao #77 of the Washington Redskins in action against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 28, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

Redskins offense vs. Buccaneers defense

As mentioned earlier, Washington suffered numerous offensive line injuries last week and will be thin at the position as a result. That makes the whole group a key unit for Sunday’s game against the Bucs.

With Trent Williams, Shawn Lauvao, and Brandon Scherff all out, the ‘Skins are likely to rely on some players that were just signed off the street. Notably, Jonathan Cooper appears to be in line to start at left guard. Cooper, a former top-10 pick by the Cardinals, has bounced around to four different teams since entering the league, but he has shown stretches of quality play in the past. His performance will be key to ensuring the interior doesn’t entirely collapse.

Keep a close eye on Gerald McCoy, Beau Allen, and Vita Vea on the Bucs’ line. They will look to attack Cooper, Tony Bergstrom, and Chase Roullier on the offensive line and make life difficult for the ‘Skins blocking. And if that happens, it could be a long day for the offense.

In all likelihood, Adrian Peterson will be hurt by the lack of quality blocking on the interior. The banged-up and inexperienced unit may not be able to provide as many lanes for him. So, while he may still score and could have a couple of nice runs, it may be tough for him to consistently gain yardage.

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The passing game will be the most important thing to watch on Sunday. Alex Smith and company need to carry this unit. The Buccaneers secondary is one of the worst units in the NFL, and they have been relentlessly torched all season. They give up the third-most passing yards per game on a league-wide scale, so the Redskins will need to capitalize.

If the Redskins are to win on offense, Josh Doctson, Jordan Reed, and Maurice Harris all have to win in their respective matchups. They have to separate quickly and find open space for Smith to throw into. If that can happen, it will offset the issues on the offensive line and could allow Smith to have his best day since becoming Washington’s quarterback.

Overall, this matchup looks like it should slightly favor the Redskins. That said, it is a weakness vs. weakness battle in terms of the Redskins receivers vs. the Bucs secondary, so that makes it a bit hard to predict. It will be interesting to see if the offensive unit can finally break through.

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