WILD CARD PREVIEW 3: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

BY ADAM GREENE

Our Wild Card Saturday ends with a game no one seems that stoked to see, but could be the best one of the day as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady travel to our nation’s capital to take on the Washington Football Team.

This will be Tom Brady’s first playoff game as a member of a Wild Card team in his entire career.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (+8.5, O/U: 45)

Location: FedEx Field

Kickoff: Jan. 9, 8:15 p.m. EST

Broadcast: NBC

THE HISTORY

The Bucs and the WFT don’t exactly have a storied rivalry. They met just 23 times since Tampa Bay entered the league in 1977. Washington leads the all time series 12-11 and has won the last two and four of the last six match ups between the two franchises.

Their last meeting was on Nov. 11, 2018. WFT won 16-3 with Alex Smith passing for 178 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t quite have the Fitzmagic that day, throwing for 406 yards for the Buccaneers, but no TDs and two picks. Jaquizz Rodgers caught eight passes for 102 yards and Chris Godwin had seven for 103 in the losing effort.

This will be the third playoff meeting between the two clubs. The first came on Jan. 15, 2000 in the NFC Divisional playoffs. The Bucs won 14-13. On Jan. 7, 2006 Washington knocked off Tampa 17-10 in the Wild Card game.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (11-5)

The Buccaneers could have coasted into the playoffs and rested players last week, but chose not to. Instead, they went full throttle against the Atlanta Falcons, winning 44-27 to ensure they’d keep the five seed and get this match up against the WFT and avoid the Seattle Seahawks. It might have cost them wide receiver Mike Evans in the process as he hurt his knee. His status for Saturday night is up in the air.

Against the Falcons, Brady threw for 399 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Antonio Brown caught 11 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Godwin had five catches for 133 and two scores. Ronald Jones II carried the ball 12 times for 78 yards and a touchdown.

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (7-9)

The WFT secured the NFC East title last week with a 20-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in a controversial game that many people feel the Eagles tanked in the fourth quarter. Many people are correct.

Alex Smith threw for 162 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the victory. Antonio Gibson rushed for 76 yards. Washington’s defense sacked Philly’s QBs three times and picked them off twice. They also forced a Nate Sudfeld fumble.

THE PICK

There’s a lot going on here to make everyone nervous about this game. While the WFT enters this contest with a losing record, starter Alex Smith does not. He’s 5-1 as a starter for Washington this season and if he’d been ready to go in Week 1, this would probably be a 10-win team. There’s that, and the fact that two seven-win teams have made the playoffs in a non strike year and both times those seven win teams won. The last one, the 2014 Carolina Panthers was coached by a guy named Ron Rivera. The team he beat, the 11-5 Arizona Cardinals was coached by some dude named Bruce Arians. You see why I am concerned.

Still, the Tampa Bay offense has been on fire the last three weeks and while Washington’s defense will be the best they’ve faced in two months, I don’t think it’ll be enough. Bucs 27, WFT 20

LAST WEEK

Straight up: 13-3

Against the spread: 11-5

SEASON

Straight up: 170-85-1

Against the spread: 131-125

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