NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
We have now entered the next phase of this dream Washington Commanders season. After taking care of our arch-enemy on the road we lock in for a shot at revenge with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Most of the experts had Washington winning 5-6 games and here we are double-digit wins and the soon-to-be rookie of the year under center. In week 1 we didn’t have any idea what type of team we had or who would become key parts of the squad. The Bucs led by Baker Mayfield did what they wanted, whenever they wanted in that game and the result was a loss of 37-20. The game showed us a taste of the magic J5 was going to give us.
Burn The Baker
The heart and soul of this Bucs team is Baker Mayfield who has been reborn in Tampa, and having a career year. Even with the weapons he has lost, he continues to find a way to get the job done. They also have a gem in rookie running back Bucky Irving who is just as deadly in the passing game. Of course,e the great Mike Evans is still rolling out of bed and getting 150-plus yards and 2 touchdowns like you and I order coffee from Starbucks. If the defense lets Mayfield get off to a good start the rest of the Bucs will feed off of it and add to the home crowd energy. Remember this team gave the Detroit Lions a real run for their money last season. Getting a constant pass rush is super important.
The return of Marshon Lattimore could not come at a better time for the Commanders who they got in a trade with the Saints. He has played one game and was a shutdown corner and then missed games with a nagging hamstring injury. This is the perfect time to show up and showcase why he was such a great pick-up. The two of them had some great battles when Lattimore played for the Saints, it is one of the matchups to watch. Baker is also a threat to run and get big gains. When he does tuck and run the Commanders need to limit the gains and make him pay with big hits.
Mr. Chill Makes His Playoff Debut
Jayden Daniels has been everything Commanders fans could have asked for and then some. The playoffs are a whole different animal and if this season taught us anything about Jayden Daniels he is calm, cool, and confident no matter what is going on. Each and every week his play has improved and he has fought through some nicks and dings. Over 3,500 yards passing and 25 tuddies is a hell of a rookie season. He also helped bring Terry McLaurin back to the forefront of top wideouts in the league. Daniels needs to be picky when he runs and make sure to SLIDE or run out of bounds. Protecting himself and the team’s chances to earn the win. We heard this week from OC Kliff Kingsbury that it would take a LOT for him to leave Washington and J5.
Having a strong start and a good game plan is so important for a road playoff game. I want to see who steps up in the passing game to help open things up for McLaurin. Running the ball with Brian Robinson and the other running backs would go a long way in making the passing game that much more deadly. I want to see if the return of some injured players along the offense line helps out the running game. The backs also have to stick a foot in the ground and make it count. Dancing around looking for big plays isn’t the way to go at all. Tampa has a top-10 defense in terms of sacks and they blitz a LOT. Jayden needs to get rid of the ball fast, or bail and run when he feels the pass isn’t there.
The Verdict
Who doesn’t love a good revenge story? I love them and this weekend we get ours. Pressure Baker Mayfield into mistakes and give our offense a short field to work with. Jumping out to a lead early and making Jayden Daniels feel at home in his first playoff game. Even though our numbers don’t show us as a team to grab interceptions this game we will have chances to get some. If our front four can make the job hard of Mayfield we will be in this game and get a chance to earn our ticket to the next round. Washington also must have some sort of a running game. The Lattimore vs Evans battle is going to be so much fun. In the end, I have the Commanders moving on 27-24. #RaiseHail #HTTC
