Tag: Score Prediction

Final score prediction: Expect Washington to get back on track vs. Bengals

Washington has been a few simple mistakes away from victory over the past couple of weeks, and we predict they find a way to get the job done vs. Cincinnati.

We’ve talked in depth this past week about the necessity for a win for the Burgundy & Gold this week, which is an extremely apt name when you consider the uniforms they are wearing for this matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. If Washington is going to continue forward in their race for the NFC East, it absolutely has to start with a victory on Sunday; they simply can not lose another winnable game and hope to compete for a playoff spot with the stretch of tough games coming up.

So will they be able to pull out a W against Joe Burrow and the Bengals? In all reality, I think that they will. We’ve laid out the keys to the game and offered up what Washington needs to do in order to be successful, and this is a motivated team that is coming into a week facing another bad squad capable of making mistakes. It also acts as the first of two games in a span of five days, with a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

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For Washington, the biggest key to this game is going to be getting after Burrow and making him uncomfortable in the pocket. If a defensive line that is headlined by Chase Young — mainly because of his draft proximity to Burrow — is able to blow up Cincinnati’s porous offensive front and stop the former Heisman-winner from picking apart this secondary that is banged up back deep. The Bengals have allowed the second-most sacks of any team in the NFL this season, and we’ve all seen what Washington can do against bad fronts. Expect somewhere in the range of 5-7 sacks, and hopefully a couple of turnovers as well.

On the offensive side of the ball, the name of the game is giving Alex Smith time to go to work. The O-line in Washington is banged up a bit, with Morgan Moses switching over to LT and David Sharpe stepping in at RT. However, that duo did pretty well in those positions last weekend, so there is some hope that they will be able to hold their own once again. For Smith, who is coming off of his first-ever back-to-back games with more than 300 yards passing, he needs to continue to spread the ball around and find a growing list of young receivers. If Washington can evenly spread their offensive production between short and intermediate passes, as well as giving a healthy share of touches to RB Antonio Gibson, then we could see a methodical approach get the job done.

However, one of the biggest keys to the game is for Washington’s offense to finish drives early and often, and avoid leaving points on the board, as we’ve seen routinely this season. If they can do all of this, I see a pretty easy win for Washington, in all honestly. It’s one thing to say it and see it on paper, but now they need to go out and get the job done.

Prediction: Washington 31, Bengals 20

Final score prediction for Washington vs. Cowboys in division gut-check

In a game that both teams desperately need to win, there’s a good chance that Washington can limit mistakes and find a way to beat Dallas.

We’ve come to a breaking point for both teams in this NFC East showdown on Sunday afternoon. For both the Washington Football Team and the Dallas Cowboys, this is almost a must-win game if they wish to continue forward and attempt to compete in the division and try to snag a playoff spot.

A loss would be more dire to Washington than it would to Dallas, simply because the Cowboys are already ahead in the standings, but it’s fair to say that both squads would be severely set back by what would be looked at as an embarrassing defeat to a poor football team.

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So who do we think has the upper hand? Well, following the Dak Prescott injury a couple of weeks ago, it’s clear that the Cowboys are nowhere near as dangerous on offense as they once were, and with Andy Dalton trying to make due behind an offensive line that has seen more injuries this year than you could imagine, it’s tough not to have a little bit of hope that Washington can pull this one out. The biggest key is for the defensive line in Burgundy & Gold to be the dominant force that we’ve all thought they could be this year. Chase Young and Montez Sweat will need to take advantage of matchups with two undrafted rookies at the tackle positions, while Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen crash the guards and muddle up any running lanes that Ezekiel Elliott might try and find. If Dalton can be rushed into poor decisions, there’s a reasonable expectation that the secondary can once again play the role of clean-up crew and continue to take advantage of the Cowboys’ NFL-worst turnover differential.

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On offense, Washington needs to pound the rock as much as they can with Antonio Gibson and JD McKissic, taking advantage of Dallas’ 31st-ranked run defense, controlling the tempo of the game. We can trust Kyle Allen to make a few plays here and there, with the Cowboys secondary being among the worst in the league, but it would be better to play things safe and just churn out long drives on the ground, in my opinion.

In the end, I truthfully believe that Washington will win this game. Of course, a number of things can, and usually do go wrong in Washington games, so it would not shock me to see Dallas come out on top, but this is a game that Washington needs to keep their season alive, and I think they know it. Give me Washington at home in somewhat ugly fashion.

Final Score: Washington 26, Dallas 19

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Behind enemy lines: Cards Wire answers 3 questions for Seahawks fans

Jess Root, managing editor of Cards Wire, answers three questions for Seahawks fans ahead of the Week-7 contest between Seattle and Arizona.

Jess Root, managing editor of Cards Wire, answered three questions for Seahawks fans ahead of the Week-7 contest between Seattle and Arizona set for Sunday night.

The Seahawks have been on a roll to start the season, notching a perfect 5-0 record before their bye. What can the Cardinals do to stop Seattle’s winning ways in the desert?

The Cardinals have been surprisingly good statistically on defense. They are No. 2 in points and near the top in yards allowed, third-down percentage, red-zone percentage and sacks. As long as they don’t have a performance like they did against the Carolina Panthers, they should be able to get off the field and limit Seattle’s attack.

And since they can move the ball as well as anyone else, they should be able to put points on the board. The key will be maintaining that level of defensive play and not turning the ball over on offense. They also cannot afford a bad first quarter.

The NFC West is arguably the best division in football. How does Arizona stack up against the rest of the rivals?

If their defense maintains its level of play, they are as good as anyone. Seattle is definitely the clear favorite, but the Cardinals should be considered just a tick below them. They are definitely in the mix, though.

Who wins Sunday’s matchup and why? Score prediction?

I think the Cardinals finally get a home win over Seattle. They will do what no other team has been able to do and stop a late drive by Russell Wilson.

The Cardinals win 28-24.

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