The Washington Redskins are looking for a bounce-back win after a disappointing loss to the Falcons. Their Week 10 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is winnable, but it won’t be easy.
It’s safe to say that last week was a major step back for the Redskins. In a highly anticipated matchup with the Falcons, many were hoping that the team would show they were ready for the limelight. After all, they were on a three-game winning streak and had a chance to gain even more ground in the NFC East with the Eagles on bye.
Instead, the team disappointed en route to a 38-14 loss. The defense looked out of sorts and the offensive line suffered numerous injuries and lost both starting guards for the season as a result. That’s a huge loss for the squad and could be a factor down the road.
Heading into Week 10, the Redskins will have to win if they want to keep pacing the NFC East. The Eagles and Cowboys are meeting in a critical Sunday-night matchup, but the ‘Skins will have a chance to render the results of that relatively moot (at least for the moment) if they can knock off the Buccaneers.
The Bucs started the season off with a surprising win over the Saints, but since that time they have been in turmoil. They lack a strong defense and Dirk Koetter’s offense is too prone to turnovers and lacks a running game. So, needless to say, Washington should have a chance to win here.
With all that said, here’s a look at the top matchups to watch and a score prediction for Redskins vs. Buccaneers.
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.
Redskins defense vs. Buccaneers offense
This is the area where Washington really has to win if they’re going to win this contest. Against Atlanta, their defense was simply atrocious. They couldn’t pressure Matt Ryan enough from the outside, and they weren’t able to contain the Atlanta receivers. Tampa Bay will pose a similar issue.
The Bucs have a plethora of receiving weapons that they can exploit at any moment. The big names are obviously Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson, but tertiary receivers Adam Humphries and Chris Godwin are capable of doing damage too. Additionally, the tight end duo of O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate is strong, and it looks like Howard is one of the rising stars at the position league-wide.
Washington’s defensive weakness is their secondary and their linebackers in coverage. They possess a strong front against the run, but a lack of a quality all-around pass rush will make it hard for them to cover all of these weapons in a timely manner. Namely, DeSean Jackson could get his chance at a revenge game, as his deep speed will likely be combatted by a banged-up Quinton Dunbar. Hopefully, Dunbar will be healthier in Week 10, but if he isn’t, Jackson could take advantage there.
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The other thing to watch is how the team elects to cover Howard. Washington has actually been good at covering TEs this year in terms of yardage allowed, but they may spread themselves a bit too thin in this one. They’ll need their safeties — and namely, D.J. Swearinger — to step up and help cover the tight ends over the middle. If they can at least limit Howard, that will make Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s life a bit more difficult.
Speaking of Fitzpatrick, he is prone to turnovers, so the Redskins have to look for opportunities to be aggressive and seek out picks. I wouldn’t mind seeing the team get aggressive on breaks to the ball in this contest, though I would definitely be wary of them leaving the Buccaneers weapons too open. They’ll have to find a fine balance to ensure that everything goes well.
On the ground, Washington needn’t worry much about Peyton Barber. He hasn’t performed well this year and the Redskins have been good against the run, save for last week against the Falcons. And after that embarrassing performance, they will certainly be looking to bounce back against easy prey like Barber.
On this side of the ball, the Redskins have the advantage, as they can render the Bucs one dimensional. That said, they have to contain the Bucs’ passing game enough to avoid having to showcase offensive excellence to keep pace in a shootout. If the Bucs succeed in the passing game, the Redskins could be in trouble.
Score prediction
Before the season, I identified this as a game that the Redskins should easily win. After all, the Bucs are one of the weaker teams in the league. They’re starting Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, for crying out loud!
That said, I’m souring on this team’s potential to beat the Bucs for a few reasons. The first is the aforementioned offensive line issues. That could end up being a major problem if Smith is under pressure the whole game and the team can’t run the ball.
The other reasons this might be a tough game? First of all, it’s on the road. And second, the Bucs are a poor man’s Atlanta team. They don’t have a good defense, but their passing attack can win them games. Sure, Atlanta has a much better quarterback, but Fitzpatrick has proven to be a capable performer at times. He can’t be counted out because of that, and if “FitzMagic” shows up, the team could be in trouble.
I’m doing the unthinkable. I’m picking the Bucs to win this game. It might end up being close, but I’m just not convinced the ‘Skins will be able to do enough on offense to emerge victoriously.