The Redskins will beat the Bucs if….
- …Alex Smith steps up, makes plays, and leads the offense to a legitimate scoring day. The offensive line is in shambles. I’m not ignoring that and it won’t be easy to overcome. However, one of the big reasons many were so excited about Alex Smith was his ability to create. His ability to extend plays and make something out of nothing was the part of his game that Jay Gruden admitted he was excited to see. I thought last week’s drive down 14-nothing was his best drive of the year. If you wanted a defensive opponent for a trial run with a new offensive line, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one to face than Tampa’s. It has been truly terrible. It’s a defense that allows lots of yards and lots of points on a weekly basis. The Bucs have allowed over 40 three times already. Yes, the offense has turned it over a ton and put its defense in a bind but they are still allowing 414 yards per game. The Redskins have had one game of over 400 yards and that came in the opener against a pitiful and unready Arizona team. Alex Smith has good wheels. His strength was to be the guy who could make a play when the play broke down. While this isn’t a referendum game for Smith, it’s close. He needs to make plays when they’re not there and make accurate throws when the throws are there. It’s that simple.
- …they turn Tampa over like everyone else has. Tampa has 21 giveaways (2nd most in the league). They’ve thrown 17 interceptions; 10 by Winston, 7 from Ryan Fitzpatrick who will start the game today. The Redskins will have a chance at 2-3 takeaways today and they’ll need them. And when they get them, they need to score off of them. No more turnovers at midfield followed by a 3 and out punt.
- …they keep Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and OJ Howard from going nuts. That means a pass rush. They won’t be able to cover for long. They need a quick pass rush and quick throws from Fitzpatrick. Jackson has just 28 catches but for a league best 22.4 per reception. Evans’ 47 catches are for over 16 yards per catch and OJ Howard has 5 touchdowns and as at TE is averaging near 17 yards per catch. The Redskins leading pass catcher is 78th in the league in reception yardage. Let that sink in. Jordan Reed’s 340 yards in receiving yards leads the team but is just 78th in the entire NFL.
- …Jay Gruden manages the game well. If the Skins win this game, more likely than not it’s close. In a close game, a coach can impact it significantly. Gruden’s got a ton of flaws but one of his biggest has been clock, score, and overall game management. He needs to be an asset in this situation today, not a liability.
Prediction:
I have no idea what we’ll see but I’ll take a guess that this year’s team will do what last year’s team did in a similar spot when they went to Seattle and won 17-14.
Skins 23-20
To hear these keys to the game in more detail, go to the 5:48 mark below.
https://thekevinsheehanshow.com/2018/11/09/big-game-for-alex-smith-cooleys-preview/
