The Buccaneers may not have played last week but they still own the top spot in both scoring production and passing yards per game. They average 32.5 points each outing while quarterback Tom Brady and his offense is racking up an average of 327.5 passing yards. They'll be going against the league's worst passing defense, statistically, with Washington letting up an average of 286.8 yards per game. Washington is also averaging just 19.5 points to the Bucs' 32.5 points each game, which makes this matchup look pretty cut and dry in favor of Tampa Bay.
Washington has had some success on the ground this year, averaging over 118 rushing yards each game thanks in large part to Antonio Gibson, who has 442 yards and three touchdowns on the ground this season. Though, through the last three games, he hasn't been able to find the end zone and is averaging under 60 rushing yards per game. Washington itself is on a four-game losing streak and looking to get back on track at home. To do that, they'll likely need to rely on quarterback Taylor Heinicke, whom the Bucs saw in the wildcard round of the 2020 playoffs. The mobile quarterback has had an up and down year in 2021 so far, starting the season 2-1 with a passer rating of 105.9. Since Week Five, however, he's gone 0-4 with a passer rating of just 68.0.
The Bucs will also have to contend with Washington's defensive front, where defensive tackle Jonathan Allen has been the star this year. He leads the team with 6.0 sacks and is tied for second in the league with 19 quarterback hits. Keeping Brady clean will be paramount for the Bucs' offensive line, which is letting up the second-fewest sacks in the league, surrendering just 12.0 all season.
With all that in mind, see what the experts think below.
- NFL.com, Greg Rosenthal – Buccaneers
- ESPN.com, Consensus – Buccaneers (unanimous)
- USA Today (consensus) – Buccaneers (unanimous)
- SB Nation, Consensus – Buccaneers (split)
- CBSSports.com, Consensus – Buccaneers (unanimous)
