Three keys to victory for the Washington Football Team vs. Bengals

Washington Football Team WR Terry McLaurin. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Washington Football Team WR Terry McLaurin. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 15: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team walks off the field following a sack in the first quarter during their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 15, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 15: Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team walks off the field following a sack in the first quarter during their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 15, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /

1. Start Fast

Until this team has a good start to the game, this will continue to be a key to victory every week. If you want a glimpse into how bad this team is at starting games, just check out this unbelievable stat.

Consistently this year this team has failed to get off to good starts. Lack of execution, turnovers, poor play-calling, and sometimes pure bad luck has contributed to this. Like the ways they find to lose, this team’s inability to start a game fast is also quite fascinating.

To their credit, they even out their play with some incredible comebacks. However, as has already been proven, it is not a formula for success.

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When I say “start fast” it is a rather relative term. I am not asking to jump out to a 14-0 lead, although that would be nice. A good start would be to score on their first offensive drive for the first time this year.

Another reasonable goal is to just be down by one-score at halftime, or even better have the lead! Crazy concept, I know.

This team simply must start respectable against the Bengals. They can’t come out, blink, and see a two-score deficit on the scoreboard. This team may luck into one of those crazy comebacks again but it would make things much easier to win without having to overcome that hurdle. So, start fast, in relative terms.