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Washington Football Team vs. Buccaneers Wild Card playoff preview, score prediction

By Jacob Camenker

Dec 20, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young (99) and Washington Football Team nose tackle Daron Payne (94) lead their team onto the field prior to their game against the Seattle Seahawks at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young (99) and Washington Football Team nose tackle Daron Payne (94) lead their team onto the field prior to their game against the Seattle Seahawks at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 3, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith (11) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith (11) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Washington Football Team offense vs. Buccaneers defense

The Washington offense has had its share of issues in recent weeks, and it’s largely related to injury issues. The team’s top passer (Alex Smith), running back (Antonio Gibson), and receiving weapon (Terry McLaurin) are all banged-up, so their ability to succeed will depend on the health of those three players.

Of the utmost importance is obviously Smith. While he has posted a 5-1 record as a starter on the season, Smith has struggled in recent weeks because of a calf injury in his surgically repaired right leg. He hasn’t been able to move outside the pocket or put much power into his throws, and that could be an issue against this Tampa Bay defense.

The Buccaneers have a very good pass rush and their defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles, blitzes frequently. With Smith’s mobility issues, the Bucs figure to have a significant advantage in this area and they could rack up sacks and pressures if Smith is in the game.

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This will especially be true if Shaquil Barrett can return from the COVID list and team up with Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul. If all three are playing, Washington’s offensive line will need to bring their A-game to slow them down.

That said, Ron Rivera has indicated that the team may consider rotating Taylor Heinicke in at quarterback. Heinicke is a better athlete than Smith at this point in his career, so he could help keep the Bucs defense off-balance. A two-quarterback system could work, but it would certainly carry with it some risk, especially if Heinicke can’t figure out Tampa’s defense.

In addition to boasting a strong pass rush, the Bucs have the league’s best run defense. They allowed 80.6 yards per game on the ground, good for the best mark in the NFL and nearly 10 yards better than any other team. Gibson, dealing with a turf toe injury, may have trouble finding some lanes, so he and J.D. McKissic will have to play bigger roles for the team out of the backfield in this one.

Washington could also opt to use more quick screens to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers in this one. McKissic, Gibson, Steven Sims, and McLaurin are all candidates to do damage in that aspect of the game. Stretching the Bucs out wide like this could work well, especially with speedy Bucs linebacker Devin White out for this game after a positive COVID test.

The final element of this game will be the performance of the receiving corps against the Bucs secondary, which has proven to be the weakest link of the team’s defense down the stretch.

McLaurin may not be 100 percent, but the team will need him to stretch the field against Tampa Bay’s young cornerback room. Carlton Davis will likely match up against McLaurin if he returns from a groin injury for this game. If not, he may face Jamel Dean. Either way, McLaurin needs to beat either Auburn product for a big gain at some point. I

f he can, that will open up more opportunities for Cam Sims and Logan Thomas to make plays and find openings. McLaurin, Thomas, and McKissic represent Washington’s biggest chances of making plays in this game, so they will be of the utmost importance, no matter who is at quarterback.

Beating this Buccaneers defense is a tall order. The pass rush is strong and the secondary has some good, young playmakers like Antoine Winfield Jr. in it. Washington can exploit some of the team’s weaker spots, like linebacker with White out, but if they win this game, it will almost certainly have to be on defense.

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