It’s a playoff rematch this weekend as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Washington Football Team. They most recently met in the first round of the 2020 playoffs where the Bucs were victorious on their way to a Super Bowl win. Now Washington will look to exact some revenge and attempt to salvage their current season after falling to 2-6 in the first half of the schedule.
Washington Football Pass Rush
It’s basically all the same faces up front that made Washington a difficult opponent last season. Pass rushers like Chase Young, Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat and others are still as talented as they’ve been since coming into the league. They are still middle of the pack in team sacks, despite every team above them in the rankings has played more games than them except three.
In short, this is still probably one of the ten best pass rushes in the league regardless of the stats. They are strong inside and outside. This is the type of unit that can derail the Buccaneers offense if the offensive line isn’t up to the task.
Pass Defense
Washington has allowed the 7th most passing yards and the second most passing touchdowns in the NFL this year. Despite several big names in the back seven, they just can’t seem to cover anybody. This will be a problem when playing the Buccaneers passing attack.
Even with questions regarding the status of Chris Godwin, Scotty Miller and Antonio Brown, the Buccaneers should find success throwing the ball. Mike Evans has been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL this season. This would also be an opportunity to see what the team really has in Tyler Johnson and Jaelon Darden, who have looked promising as second and first year players.
Trench Warfare
The Football Team has some issues with their offensive line. Brandon Scherff is an established star at guard. Beyond him, there are a lot of question marks upfront. Samuel Cosmi is a rookie who is still looking to establish himself. Charles Leno is proven to be average at best in the NFL,
This is the type of game that Vita Vea, Ndamukong Suh and Shaq Barrett should all find success in. This is the fastest way for the Buccaneers to stop the Washington rushing offense and slow down their pass catchers on the day. This is the key to stopping an offense that does have talented playmakers such as Terry McLaurin.
Wildcard
Running back Antonio Gibson is one of Washington’s best playmakers. He is just as much a pass catcher as he is a ball carrier and he has the speed to break big play. The Buccaneers linebackers and safeties will be tested in this matchup to contain him.
Look for screen passes and the wheel route to be utilized by Washington. Any time they can get Gibson in space with the ball in his hands it’s usually good for their offense.
Overall
I expected this Washington team to be better this year and build on their playoff appearance last season. However, the defense just hasn’t progressed as expected and the offense is limited with their offensive line and quarterback situation.
The 2-6 record is misleading for the amount of talent the Football Team has. With that said, this is a game the Bucs should expect to win. Even when not at 100% in terms of health, Tampa Bay is the superior team in this matchup.
Prediction
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 30
Washington Football Team 16
