The Washington Football Team is riding the momentum from their Thursday night victory and they are heading up to Buffalo to take on the surging Bills. Taking into account the NFL odds, which team should you make your NFL pick?
Sunday, September 26, 2021 – 1:00 PM EDT at Highmark Stadium
Washington squeaked out a victory against the New York Giants as defensive tackle Dexter Lawerence was oh so slightly offside on the Football Team’s missed field goal attempt. That allowed Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins to try again, and this time the ball sailed to the upright giving the football team a one-point victory 30-29. The Football Team was led by quarterback Taylor Heinicke who has taken over the starting job after an injury to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Taylor Heinicke was the third-string quarterback forced into action last year, but he was impressed in his Wild Card performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Heinicke put up the best statistical performance against Tampa Bay all playoffs but was once again demoted. The Football Team brought in Fitzpatrick to take the starting job. This lasted just two quarters. Fitzpatrick was knocked out of action in week 1 and Heinecke took the reins. Heinicke was unable to overcome the Los Angeles Chargers at home but got a victory in his second opportunity against the Giants.
This victory was by a razor-thin margin however and exposed many of the weaknesses of the Football Team. The Football Team seems to have issues with conditioning on their defensive line. They failed to get pressure in the third and fourth quarters after dominating the line of scrimmage in the first half. The secondary has shown to be a major weakness as the Giants wide receivers and QB Daniel Jones found holes in their zone quite often.
Jones was delivering the ball to wide-open receivers. If the Football Team cannot get pressure on the quarterback from their defensive line, their secondary has shown that they struggle to stay tight in coverage. This can be an issue against the strong-armed Bills QB Josh Allen and his multitude of weapons.
WR Terry McLaurin continues to be Heineke’s best option. McLaurin can beat man or zone coverage with equal aplomb. Running back Antonio Gibson received the bulk of the carries with 13 rushes for 69 yards but JD McKissic is the running back who got a majority of the snaps in the red zone with 4 rushes for 10 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Logan Thomas continues to be a viable option with five receptions for 45 yards. Heinicke and the Football Team are still waiting for a reliable third option to emerge to diversify this offense.
With improved secondary play, and if a reliable third option emerges, the Football Team still has a chance to win the NFC East. Head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio have their work cut out for them in order to reduce the mistakes. Hence now firmly has the starting role and it will be interesting to see if he can make the most of this opportunity. While the Football Team has flaws, they do seem like they are correctable. It would be foolish to count them out because of a couple of lackluster performances to start the season.
The Buffalo Bills bounced back from a season-opening loss by absolutely dismantling the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo won 35-0 and were dominant in all three phases of the game. Josh Allen was 17-33 from 179 yards 2 touchdowns and one interception. RB Devin Singletary had 13 rushes for 81 yards which comes out to an impressive 6.2 yards per attempt. Singletary also rushed for a touchdown. RB Zach Moss appears to be the red zone back. Moss had 8 rushes for 26 yards and two touchdowns. The Miami defense was highly regarded going into this game. The Bill’s ability to score so easily against a very strong secondary has to give Bills’ fans hope for the season.
The Bills knocked Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out of the game in the first quarter. Tagovailoa was replaced by Jacoby Brissett and the Bills held him to 169 yards passing on 40 attempts. The Bill’s defensive line and the scoreboard helped keep Miami’s rushing attack in check. The Dolphins were held to only 71 yards on the ground and 216 total yards. This was a complete game in all aspects for the Bills. In a situation where we were looking for the Bills to bounce back, they most certainly did.
Washington secondary vs Buffalo wide receivers. After starting the season against top defenses, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins, the Bills hope to find more room for their receivers at home against the Football Team. This should be an advantageous matchup for Bills WR Stefon Diggs. If the Bills line can give quarterback Josh Allen time, Diggs should have a big game.
It will be incumbent upon the Football Team to generate a strong pass rush and hold tight in coverage if they want to keep up with the Bills’ high-powered offense. If Diggs is able to get open often, the Bills should run away with this game. If the Football Team can improve their coverage in the secondary and keep the windows for Allen and his receivers tight, the Football Team could once again surprise and come away with a road victory.
As good as the Bills looked in their victory over Miami, this line of 9.5 is an overreaction. Although the Football Team does have deficiencies, they match up well with Buffalo. Washington has been getting it done so far this season, and even if they fall short of the victory, I expect them to keep it close and cover the spread. Take advantage of this inflated line. Take the points with the Football Team.
NFL Pick: Washington Football Team +9.5 (-112) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
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