Here is a look back and look ahead for the Washington Football Team in Weeks 11 and 12 (the Thanksgiving Day game).
Welcome to our look back at the Bengals game and the weekly prediction for the next game. This week it is the Cowboys in Texas this Thursday for the Thanksgiving game.
For a few short days, fans can proudly celebrate a come from behind victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. However, it comes at a heavy price. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow departed the game in the third quarter after a gruesome leg injury ended his brilliant rookie campaign. We wish him the best in his recovery and hope to see him dazzling the fans once again in 2021.
Playoffs? Are we talking about the playoffs? We’re really talking about the playoffs? Yes, at 3-7, the WFT is a half-game out of first place in the NFC East and a victory on Thursday could vault them to first place. Your eyes do not deceive you.
How about a reality check? According to Tankathon, Washington currently holds the fifth overall pick in the NFL draft for now. It’s possible that the eventual NFC East champion could end up with a record of 6-10, 5-10-1, or 5-11. While talk of a division championship is nice, let’s keep some perspective here. At the very least, it is nice to be talking about a victory.
Today, we bring you the latest set of grades and we’ll see how the WFT fared against the Bengals. We’ll also take a look at this Thursday’s Thanksgiving game against the Cowboys.
Will we still be talking about a division championship on Friday? Can Santa Claus really deliver such a gift during this holiday season? Let’s get right to the grades, evaluations, commentary, and a prediction for the Thanksgiving Day game.
Week 11 grades and evaluations
Offense
You can’t argue with the results. A victory trumps all and it is what matters, but we will do a bit of nitpicking here anyway.
The two-headed rushing attack of Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic was superb and the coaches should’ve called their names a few times more during the game, but they did carry the day. Terry McLaurin continues to amaze. His catches at three different moments in the game directly led to 17 points being scored. That is the margin of victory.
The makeshift offensive line was solid and Alex Smith did just enough as a game manager to carry Washington to victory. Logan Thomas had a surprise quarterback sneak to keep the first touchdown drive alive.
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Grade: B-
Defense
The defense was truly outclassed in the first half and the WFT was fortunate to be down by only two points at halftime. The defense was able to improve in the second half after the unfortunate injury to Burrow. From that moment to the end of the game, the defense took charge and was able to keep the game out of reach.
The defensive line started to feast in the third quarter and they dominated at that juncture. However, that unit was outplayed by Cincinnati’s offensive line in the first half.
Ronald Darby had a solid game and Kendall Fuller contributed several key plays. Troy Apke dropped an easy interception and Thomas Davis seems like he is ready to apply for retirement benefits.
Grade: C+
Special Teams
Tress Way placed one punt inside the two-yard line and his legendary status continues to create new chapters each week. Dustin Hopkins missed wide right once again on a short field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter, but he did nail a key 50-yarder earlier in the second half. The punt and kick returns were not anything to talk about, but there were no glaring mistakes to mention.
Grade: B-
Coaching
The coaches had no answers in the first half. That is a familiar theme, but Cincinnati (a 2-6-1 team) had some difficulties as well and the game was tight at halftime. The offense improved in the second half and the defense played better, but only after an injury to the starting quarterback took him out of the game. It’s not the most inspiring victory, but the adjustments were made and it is the Burgundy and Gold celebrating today.
One nifty call on offense stands out – the quarterback sneak (using the tight end) to keep the first touchdown drive alive. One good adjustment came on the defensive line. Like last week, the Bengals running backs were very effective for the first two and a half quarters. The front four clamped down yet again and helped to create another comeback.
Grade: C+
Week 12 analysis and prediction
Week 12: Washington at Cowboys
- Site: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
- Time: 4:30pm, EST
This game is for first place in the NFC East! Well, possibly for a few days only, but the NFC East is wide open for any of the four teams to take. It’s just that no one seems to want it.
With six games to go in the season, not one team in the NFC East will be able to win 10 games in 2020. Let that sink in for a while. Winning the NFC East is simply a ticket to a first-round exit in the playoffs. Like we mentioned last week, cheering for losses and better draft positions should not be an official strategy, but it is understood that some fans lean in that direction.
Now, onto the prediction. The first half of this Thanksgiving game is typical for the WFT, but worse. Dallas is out for revenge this week after a shellacking from Washington a few weeks earlier. The Cowboys sprint to a four-touchdown lead in the first half and the WFT is clueless at that juncture.
A furious second-half rally for Washington falls short and the visitors can only dream about first place at the Thanksgiving dinner table later that evening. Andy Dalton’s revenge game is successful.
Players who will shine on Thursday include Terry McLaurin, Antonio Gibson, Cam Sims, and Kendall Fuller.
Prediction: Cowboys 38, Washington 28
Personal Record: 5-5
There is the latest game prediction for this season. More grades are coming later in this short week and we’ll have a prediction for the Steelers game.