Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Football Team Matchup Preview (11/14/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Football Team Matchup Preview (11/14/21)

The last time Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a bye week, they came out of it winning 8 straight games en route to an iconic Super Bowl victory. On Sunday, this Tampa team looks to initiate a similar run, opening up the second half of their season against a faltering Washington Football Team. The Football Team, meanwhile, looks to salvage what remains of a season that feels all but lost at the moment. Though we don’t know what the future holds for this team at quarterback, we do know that their defensive front is young, and likely to be around for years to come. While this unit hasn’t lived up to expectations so far this season, they’ve improved week-to-week, and this weekend’s game against the defending Super Bowl champs marks a perfect time to make a statement.

Historically, Tom Brady struggles most against teams with a consistent pass rush, and The Football Team showed in last year’s Wild Card game — where they sacked Brady 3 times — that they are more than capable of doing this. Will the defending Super Bowl champs come out of the bye week on a reign of terror similar to last year, or will the Football Team get revenge for last year’s loss in Wild Card weekend? We’ll find out this Sunday at 1:00 PM ET in the Nation’s capital. 

The Washington Football Team enters the weekend 1-3 at home and the Buccaneers 2-2 on the road.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Football Betting Odds

Betting Trends

Buccaneers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following an ATS loss.
Buccaneers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game
Buccaneers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing home record
The Football Team is 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games following a straight up loss
The Football Team is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss
Football Team are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog

The Pick

I love Tampa Bay to win in a landslide this weekend. To put it simply, this is the league’s highest rated passing offense going up against the league’s lowest rated passing defense. This Bucs offense has scored 27 or more points in 7 of their last 8 games, while the Washington football Team has scored 27 or more in 2 of their last 8. The only thing that really gives me pause heading into this one is the Bucs inconsistency on the road this year. Currently, the Bucs average margin of victory at home is a staggering 22 points, while, on the road, they are averaging a negative point differential. The Football Team will be the worst team the Bucs have faced on the road this season, though nothing is impossible considering that the inconsistent Philadelphia offense was able to outscore the Bucs in the second half at home just 4 weeks prior.

All told, though, this Bucs offense is just too much for the Football Team to keep pace with, especially in a game that has serious playoff seeding ramifications for the Bucs — does this warm weather franchise really want to travel to Lambeau in mid-January? The best way to beat this Bucs team right now is through the air and the Football Team lacks the personnel to do so.  

My Prediction: Buccaneers win 37-21, Tampa covers (+9.5) and the over hits (o50.5)

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, November 14
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: FedEx Field – Prince George’s County, Maryland
TV Coverage: Fox

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Football Team Live Stream

Where can you watch Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Football Team online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Football Team Free Online Now.

Injuries

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Antonio Brown (Ankle) Q, CB Carlton Davis III (Quadriceps) O, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (Elbow) Q, WR Scotty Miller (Toe) Q
Washington Football Team: G Brandon Scherff (Knee) Q, CB William Jackson III (Knee) Q, DE Montez Sweat (Jaw) Q, WR Curtis Samuel (Groin) Q, C Chase Roullier (Leg) O, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Hip) O, TE Logan Thomas (Hamstring) O, ILB Jon Bostic (Pectoral) O, CB Darryl Roberts (Quadriceps) O, WR Dyami Brown (Knee) Q

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Analysis

Sometimes, the best possible action is inaction. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this proved to be the case on Sunday as the Cowboys, Packers, and Rams all lost in dramatic fashion — clearing a path for the Bucs to take hold of the number one overall seed in the NFC. With the easiest remaining schedule of any team contending for the spot, it’s hard to imagine anyone but the Bucs coming out of the latter half of the season with a firm grasp on home field advantage and a first round bye. Frankly, this may be the perfect time to bet on Brady for the MVP, given Aaron Rodgers’ vaccination woes and Josh Allen’s inconsistency as of late.

The Bucs offense ranks third in the NFL in total yards per game and first in the NFL in passing yards per game. No team has more passing touchdowns on the season and only Minnesota has allowed fewer sacks. As beat up as their secondary has been, this defense has made up for it in the run game — allowing the second fewest rush yards per game, behind only the Saints. 

It is important to note that no team gets thrown on more than the Bucs. Opposing coaching staffs know this team is beatable in the defensive backfield, especially against teams that can go three receivers deep. Fortunately for the Bucs, this won’t be the case against the Football Team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Depth Chart

QB: Tom Brady
RB1: Leonard Fournette
RB2: Ronald Jones II
RB3: Giovani Bernard
WR1: Antonio Brown
WR2: Chris Godwin
WR3: Mike Evans
TE1: Rob Gronkowski

Washington Football Team Analysis

This Washington Football Team still ranks dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. Though their rushing defense is 11th in the league, it’ll be hard for them to impose their will against a Tampa team that seems anemic to running the ball. The one hope is that this defensive front is able to get pressure on the quarterback. Ron Rivera called out Chase Young in the media this week for bad habits he’s formed over the season — perhaps he’s cleaned some of these up during the bye week and will come out as the Chase Young we’re used to seeing.

Despite the defensive woes, perhaps a bigger problem for this team is their inability to score. During their four game losing streak, this offense has averaged a measly 13.8 points per game. They made a switch at kicker over the bye week, releasing Chris Blewitt and signing Joey Slye after 3 of Blewitt’s first 5 kicks in the league didn’t make it past the line of scrimmage. Despite his lack of success in the league, Blewitt will go down as one of the greatest kicker names in NFL history. 

A loss this weekend may officially shift the focus of the front office from the rest of the season to the draft. A win, however, may just make things interesting in a conference that’s weak at the bottom.

Washington Football Team Depth Chart

QB: Taylor Heinicke
RB1: Antonio Gibson
RB2: JD McKissic
WR1: Curtis Samuel
WR2: Terry McLaurin
WR3: Adam Humphries
TE1: Ricky Seals-Jones

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Football Team Daily Fantasy Picks

When a team loaded to the gills with offensive weapons goes up against a team with a weak defensive backfield, one of those weapons is bound to feast. This weekend, I believe that weapon is WR Mike Evans. Though fellow Bucs WR Chris Godwin has more yards on the season than Evans, Evans has exactly twice as many touchdowns. His 6’ 7” frame provides a huge advantage in the red zone on those fade routes Brady loves to throw. I expect the Bucs to be in the red zone often in this one, and for Evans to be the recipient of many fade routes from the MVP favorite himself. The WR is currently listed as $7,000 on DraftKings.