Game Preview, Week 10: Buccaneers at Washington
November 12, 2021
by Steve Thomas
Washington is coming off of a nice, easy bye week, comfortable in their positive and productive first half of the season, right? What? That’s not what happened? Oh, yeah, they are 2 – 6 and in chaos. Well, thankfully the Redskins Washington has an opponent in a similar circumstance to begin the second half of the season. Wait, what? Washington is facing the defending Super Bowl champs, you say? Oh. That’s not good. At least Tampa isn’t coming off a bye week, so Washington has the advantage of an extra week of preparation. Let me check the schedule to verify. ***checks schedule***. Ugh – it looks like the Buccaneers are also coming off of their bye week. Nevermind. In all seriousness, this game is certainly not one that’s lining up to be a Washington win. The smart money is on a Tampa Bay blowout, but you never know. Washington does have a fighting chance . . . I guess. Our game preview starts below.
Game time & location: Sunday, November 14, 2021, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fed Ex Field, Raljon, Maryland; Gates open 11:00 a.m. ET; Red Zone parking lots open 8:00 a.m.; all other parking lots 9:00 a.m.
Television: Fox
Television announcers: Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, Shannon Spake
TV broadcast map: click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Washington radio network: click here
Buccaneers radio network: click here
Satellite radio: Sirius XM: 225 (Washington broad.); internet: 831 (Washington broad.)
Redskins roster: click here
Redskins depth chart: click here
Buccaneers roster: click here
Buccaneers depth chart: click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Buccaneers: 5 – 5 (last 10: 3 – 2; streak: 0 – 1) (reg. season)
Last meeting: W, November 11, 2017, 16 – 3 (reg season; playoffs, L, Jan 9, 2021, 23 – 31)
Early odds: Tampa Bay, -9.5
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Keep Tampa Bay’s offense off the field
The best way to beat a Tom Brady-led team is to keep Brady off the field. It therefore won’t be an easy thing to do, but if Washington is going have a shot to win this game, they’re going to need to keep the score down. The best way to do that is for Washington’s offense to go on long, run-dominated drives resulting in touchdowns. That, of course, is something that Washington hasn’t been good at so far this year. Also, Washington’s defense has terrible at getting opposing offenses off the field all season, posting an historically bad third down conversion rate. I’m not saying this is either easy or likely for Washington, but this is what they’ll need to do.
Pressure Tom Brady, successfully
I don’t have much faith that Washington’s secondary is going to be able to fool Tom Brady, who is by any measure one of the best pocket quarterbacks in NFL history. The only real way to throw Brady off his game is to put him under enormous pressure and make him frustrated. Washington’s star-laden defensive line needs to play their best game of the season in order to give the offense a shot at hanging with one of the most capable and highest-scoring offenses in the game.
Mistake-free secondary play
Brady is obviously an expert at picking apart opposing secondaries. I don’t think Washington has a realistic chance at totally shutting Brady down, but they will need to play tight, mistake-free coverage so as to not make it easy for Brady. Washington’s secondary has looked lost at times this season, with multiple major busts resulting in long gains and touchdowns. That can’t happen this Sunday. Look for whether this unit can play tight, close coverage on Tampa Bay’s stable of star receivers. If they can’t, this game is likely to go south, fast, regardless of the pressure Brady is put under.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
Cole Holcomb and Jamin Davis vs. O.J. Howard
The best tight end in NFL history, Rob Gronkowski, has missed several games with a bad back and is expected to miss this game as well. If that is the case, Washington will need to deal with O.J. Howard, whose NFL career hasn’t always been what was expected – he was lauded as the next great tight end coming out of college in 2017 and hasn’t really lived up to that billing. Whether the likes of Holcomb and Davis can actually cover him remains to be seen, but it’s a high-profile matchup to keep an eye on. Things will be exponentially worse if Gronkowski somehow comes back.
Chris Godwin vs. William Jackson
Jackson is expected to play his first game since week 6, and has a doozy of a matchup in his return in Chris Godwin, who is recovering from a foot injury. Tom Brady is a master at finding the hot hand, so Jackson having a good day and shutting down Godwin doesn’t necessarily mean a Washington victory. Nonetheless, this is another high-profile matchup that is sure to attract attention.
Terry McLaurin vs. Richard Sherman
Sherman, the 11 year vet and future Hall of Famer, hasn’t played since week 6 due to a hamstring injury, but isn’t listed on Tampa Bay’s injury report this week. McLaurin vs Sherman is yet another battle of big names, with Washington’s #1 receiver facing an opponent who certainly isn’t what he used to be but still has the benefit of experience. Watch out for how well McLaurin can get open against the veteran.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (active roster only) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
D – doubtful NL – not listed
| Washington | Buccaneers |
| WR C. Samuel, groin; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | WR A. Brown, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| DE M. Sweat, jaw; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP Fri: DNP; game: to IR | WR C. Godwin, foot; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| WR D. Brown, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | TE R. Gronkowski, back; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| T S. Cosmi, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | OLB J. Pierre-Paul, shoulder/hand; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: Q |
| RB A. Gibson, shin; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP | CB D. Delany, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; game: Q |
| TE S. Reyes, hip; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | CB R. Robinson, hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| G B. Scherff, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP | RB G. Bernard, chest; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| WR C. Sims, hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP | DT S. McLendon, NIR (rest); Wed: NL; Thurs: DNP; Fri: FP |
| CB W. Jackson III, knee; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | DT N. Suh, NIR (rest); Wed: NL; Thurs: NL; Fri: DNP |
| CB B. St-Juste, illness; Wed: NL; Thurs: DNP Fri: DNP; game: O |
TEAM STATISTICS
Washington:
Washington’s offense is ranked 26th in points, 22nd in total yards, 26th in passing yards, 17th in rushing yards, and 10th rushing yards. Washington’s rushing game looks substantially worse without Taylor Heinicke’s yardage. Antonio Gibson is averaging just 4.0 yards per carry. One of Washington’s biggest problems on offense is their performance in the red zone – they have scored touchdowns on only 45.45% of red zone trips, which is ranked 31st in the NFL.
Defensively, Washington’s numbers have improved, but only because of the mediocre offenses they’ve faced in recent weeks. Regardless, they are now ranked 28th in points, 20th in total yards, 27th in passing yards, 7th in rushing yards, and 8th in rushing yards per attempt. Washington has just 19 sacks this season, ranked 17th, despite the four first round draft picks on the defensive line. Washington’s achilles heel on defense is their third down defense. Opponents have converted on 56.52% of attempts, which is the worst in the NFL and an historically bad number.
Record: 2 – 6 (4th) (Home: 1 – 3; NFC: 2 – 2)
All-time franchise record: 612 – 618 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 26 (points) / 22 (total yards) / 16 (yards per game) / 17 (yards per play) / 26 (passing yards) / 24 (passing yards per att.) / 17 (rushing yards) / 10 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 156 |
| Yards per game | 348.6 |
| Passing
|
280 att (25th); 178 comp; 63.6% comp per. (24th); 6.9 Y/A; 1844 net yds; 11 TD; 9 Int |
| Passing leader | Heinicke (274 att (19th), 1928 yds (22nd), 63.9% comp perc (25th), 11 TDs / 9 Int, 84.3 QB rating (26th) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (573 yds (20th), 76 tgts (10th), 43 rec (25th), 4 TDs, 13.3 YPC (43rd)) |
| Rushing | 207 att (20th); 945 yds; 4.6 Y/A; 118.1 Y/G (12th); 5 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Gibson (111 att (14th), 442 yds (20th), 3 TDs (36th), 4.0 Y/A (30th), long 27) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 15 / 11 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 29:08 / 23 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 34.69% / 27 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 45.45% / 31 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 28 (points) / 20 (total yards) / 29 (yards per game surrendered) / 26 (yards per play) / 27 (passing yards) / 24 (passing yards per att.) / 7 (rushing yards) / 8 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 227 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 389.4 |
| Opponent’s passing | 303 att (18th); 204 comp; 67.3% comp perc. (22nd); 6.6 Y/A; 2294 net yds; 20 TDs; QB Rating 107.6 (31st) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 205 att (8th); 821 yds; 4.0 Y/A; 7 TDs; 102.6 Y/G (11th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 19/ 17 / Allen (6.0) |
| Tackles leader | Holcomb (73) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 4 / 27 / Fuller, Holcomb, Jackson, McCain (1) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 56.52% / 32 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 61.29% / 17 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 25.6 Y/R (4th), 21 returns, long 101 yards (2nd), 1 TD |
| Punt returns | 10.0 Y/R (5th), 5 returns, long 14 yards (31st), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 22.9 Y/R (23rd), 8 returns (1st), 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 10.2 Y/R (26th), 14 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 50.4 Y/P (3rd) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 13 / 9 / -4 / 26
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 47 / 7
Buccaneers:
Brady’s passing offense is everything we’re used to seeing – they are 2nd in the NFL in passing yards, and Brady’s 108.6 quarterback rating is ranked 4th. As a team, Tampa Bay has scored 260 points, which is ranked 3rd. At first glance, the Buccaneers’ rushing attack is their weakness – they are ranked 25th in the league in total yards; however, they are averaging 4.3 yards per attempt, which is ranked 17th. They are also outstanding on third downs, converting on 49.04% of attempts, which is second-best in the NFL.
Defensively, Tampa Bay has surrendered 183 points, which is ranked 10th in the NFL. They are 15th in passing yards, 2nd in rushing yards, and 5th in rushing yards per attempt.
Record: 6 – 2 (1st); Away: 2 – 2; NFC: 4 – 2)
All-time franchise record: 284 – 431 – 1
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
3 (points) / 7 (total yards) / 3 (yards per game) / 3 (yards per play) / 2 (passing yards) / 10 (passing yards per att.) / 25 (rushing yards) / 17 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 260 |
| Yards per game | 423.1 |
| Passing | 350 att (3rd); 236 comp; 67.4% comp per. (10th); 7.7 Y/A; 2620 net yds; 25 TDs; 5 Int |
| Passing leader | Brady (343 att (2nd), 2650 yds (2nd), 67.3% comp per. (10th), 25 TDs / 5 Int, 108.6 QB rating (4th)) |
| Reception leader | Godwin (660 yds (8th), 69 targets (18th), 50 rec (11th), 4 TDs (34th), 13.2 Y/C (45th) |
| Rushing | 179 att (31st); 765 yds; 4.3 Y/A; 95.6 Y/G (25th); 7 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Fournette (101 att (18th), 439 yds (21st), 4 TDs (20th), 4.3 Y/A (26th), long 21 yds (72nd)) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 12 / 3 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 31:19 / 9 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 49.04% / 2 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 67.57% / 7 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 10 (points) / 3 (total yards) / 7 (yards per game surrendered) / 12 (yards per play) / 15 (passing yards) / 6 (passing yards per att.) / 2 (rushing yards) / 5 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 183 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 335.8 |
| Opponent’s passing | 322 att (26th); 220 comp; 68.3% comp per. (27th); 6.7 Y/A; 2062 net yds; 16 TDs; QB rating 90.5 (13th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 159 att (1st); 624 yds; 3.9 Y/A; 4 TDs |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 17 / 24 / Barrett (5.5) |
| Tackles leader | White (61) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 10 / 7 / Dean, Edwards (2) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 39.80% / 15 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 55.17% / 11 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 21.3 Y/R (19th), 12 returns, long 41 yards (27th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 8.8 Y/R (13th), 13 returns, long 43 yards (1st), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 22.5 Y/R (22nd), 8 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 6.9 Y/R (10th), 11 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 42.8 Y/P (30th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 10 / 14 / +4 / 9
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 59 / 24
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com