Washington Football Team: Matchup with Broncos a “Code Red” for Washington

With as poorly as matters are going for the Washington Football Team, both on and off-the-field, it would be fair to assume that their season is all but finished. That is partially true. However, a win on Sunday could change things. The same could be said for a loss, too.

To be frank, the 2021 season hangs in the balance on Sunday. A loss all but ends their season with a matchup with the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on deck in two weeks after the bye.

A win keeps Washington afloat in the race for the final Wild Card spot, which is coming down to teams that the best reaction one can muster for them is “meh.”  Believe it or not, Washington can right its season Sunday, and here is why.

It is Code Red time for the Washington Football Team

Code Red. The term coined by sports fans, coaches, and media alike to signify a “must-win” game for the sports they cheer, play, coach, or cover. And, well, the matchup against the Denver Broncos checks the box of a “Code Red” game for the Washington Football Team.

Entering the bye on a four-game skid would make the back half more about identifying the players who are a part of the rebuild rather than vying for more meaningful football.

However, as of today, Washington is only two games out of the final Wild Card spot. The battle for the seventh spot will come down to teams like the Vikings, Bears, Falcons, 49ers, Seahawks, Panthers, and potentially Washington if they right the ship.

Every one of those teams listed is at best average; the only exception being Seattle if they get hot when Russell Wilson comes back from injury.

If Washington simply stays afloat they can reassert themselves back into contention for a playoff spot. After the bye, they finish the year with Tampa Bay (H), Carolina (A), Seattle (H), Las Vegas (A), Dallas (H), Philadelphia (A), Dallas (A), Philadelphia (H), New York Giants (A).

Out of the nine remaining games following the bye, Washington plays three teams with a winning record. And they have multiple games against teams who they would be competing against in the Wild Card spot; they already hold the tiebreaker over Atlanta.

What I am laying out is this: Washington’s season is not finished yet. They can still get in contention for that last wildcard spot. They have minimal room for error, but it is doable.

And it starts with beating a sputtering Denver Broncos team. The Broncos are in the middle of a four-game drought. And they are fresh off a loss to a Cleveland Browns team that’s starting lineup resembled what their starting lineup for the first game of the preseason would look like.

Here is the bottom line: a 3-5 Washington Football Team with some momentum entering the bye is a lot different than a 2-6 Football Team on a four-game skid. And most of all: it creates more meaningful football.

For as underwhelming as the first half of the season has been, Washington’s season is still fixable. And it starts with the first, officially official “Code Red” game against Denver. Must-win games are an overused term in sports, but the shoe fits perfectly for this matchup.

Washington needs this one.