While it’s still early in the season, the Washington Football Team must win in Week 5. Sunday, Washington will host the New Orleans Saints at FedEx Field. Both teams are coming into the game with a 2-2 record. Washington is coming off of a comeback win against the Atlanta Falcons and the Saints are coming off of an overtime loss to the New York Giants in Week 4.
After Sunday’s matchup, the next three opponents look drastically different for both teams. The Saints next three opponents are the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Falcons. The Buccaneers are currently the only team the Saints will face with a winning record in that three-game stretch. Washington will face the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Denver Broncos in their next three games. None of Washington’s next three opponents have a losing record. Washington needs a win on Sunday as they prepare to face the toughest stretch of their season.
A Must Win for the Washington Football Team in Week 5
A Must Win Scenario
Washington has the 15th hardest strength of schedule in the NFL this season. Their opponents combined 2020 winning percentage is .504. In addition to Washington’s next three opponents, Washington must also face the Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys (twice). The Panthers, Raiders, and Cowboys have all shown improvement from their 2020 campaigns.
A Washington win on Sunday would bring their record to 3-2. Assuming Washington loses to the Chiefs and Packers, the team’s record would be 3-4 after Week 7. The matchup against the Broncos could be a favorable one for Washington especially if quarterback Teddy Bridgewater cannot remain healthy. A Washington win over the Broncos in Week 8 would pull them back to .500 heading into their Week 9 bye.
A Washington loss on Sunday would bring their record to 2-3. Losses to the Chiefs and Packers would bring the team’s record to 2-5 after Week 7. A win over the Broncos would be necessary to prevent a four-game losing streak heading into the Week 9 bye. These scenarios provide drastically different outcomes for Washington who faces the Buccaneers following the bye week.
A Must Win To Build Confidence of a Young Team
A win over the Saints on Sunday is a great way to build confidence for a young Washington team that needs to believe that they can win games against the better teams in the league. While the Saints have shown some promise in their first four games of the season, they have also shown some inconsistency they will need to overcome to be successful in their first full season without Drew Brees.
This inconsistency reared its head in Week 4 with the Saints allowing the Giants to score 11 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. The Saints defense also allowed the Giants much-maligned quarterback, Daniel Jones to throw for 402 yards and two touchdowns.
Washington’s young offense led by quarterback Taylor Heinicke, running back Antonio Gibson, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and an improved offensive line can capitalize on the Saints defensive inconsistency by making big plays in the passing and running game.
Must Win the Winnable Games
One of the first steps toward measuring up to the best teams in the league is to win the “winnable” games. Washington has been favored to win in three out of four games this season. They have a 2-1 record in those games with their only loss coming to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. Washington is not favored in Sunday’s game. However, the Saints inconsistency and Washington’s newfound offensive firepower may work in Washington’s favor. A Washington win on Sunday will help to give the team momentum going into one of the most difficult stretches of the season.
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