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Washington Football Team Reality Checks: Wild Card weekend vs. Buccaneers

By Tim Payne

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 03: Defensive end Chase Young #99 of the Washington Football Team reacts after winning 20-14 over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 03, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 03: Defensive end Chase Young #99 of the Washington Football Team reacts after winning 20-14 over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 03, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – NOVEMBER 15: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Football Team looks on during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 15, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – NOVEMBER 15: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Football Team looks on during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 15, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

5. The Reality Is, Ron Rivera’s teams don’t get blown out in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay is favored by more than a touchdown in this game. They have the winningest playoff quarterback in history. They have elite offensive weapons. They have excellent, experienced coaches. They have an athletic and attacking defense.

Washington is one of the youngest teams in the NFL. Washington has a quarterback playing in uncharted territory: with his plant leg compromised with nerve damage, scar tissue from 17 surgeries, and a calf strain to boot. Washington’s best offensive weapon is dealing with a high ankle sprain.

And yet, Ron Rivera is a coach that has a track record of keeping playoff games close. Outside of a Super Bowl loss at the hands of Von Miller’s otherworldly game for the Broncos, Rivera’s teams have always covered the spread in playoff games.

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Expect more of the same from this team. They will go down swinging. They won’t quit. They will be down at points but never outclassed.

My Prediction: Washington will start fast, but Brady will have Tampa in the lead by the end of the third quarter. Heinicke will have to play late in the game with Alex Smith’s leg leaving him vulnerable to a relentless Tampa Bay pass rush.

Chase Young and the defense will contribute a massive turnover that will lead to a Washington score, and Washington will be in the game to the final minutes. Look for a final score of 31-24.

Next. Five bold predictions for Washington vs. Tampa Bay. dark

I hope they somehow get the win. For Smith and Rivera, for Kerrigan and Moses, for Washington Fans who have stuck with this franchise in spite of having very few reasons for hope. But even if they lose, hope is on the horizon. And Ron Rivera has the ship pointed in the right direction in Washington.

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