Game 9

Redskins (5-3) at Bucs (3-5)

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

TV: WTVT-TV Channel 13, DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel 712. 

Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network (WXTB-FM 97.9 in the Tampa-St.Petersburg region; 97.9 FM ESPN Radio in Tallahassee); Spanish language broadcasts on WTMP-FM 96.1 and WMGG-AM 1470 in Tampa; SiriusXM Channel 81.

Weather: Not a bad day temperature-wise, per AccuWeather.com. Tailgaters will enjoy mid-70s and the weather will climb to 82 at kickoff. It will rise to 84 in the first half and by the time the game ends will slide back to 82, all under cloudy skies.

Odds: Per FootballLocks.com, Bucs  -3.

Outlook: The Redskins are a better team, especially the way the Bucs are playing of late. However, the Redskins are beat up terribly and could be without four starting offensive linemen. Joe isn’t sure how a team can survive that. Ah, but the Bucs have a way: it’s the worst defense in the NFL and perhaps worst in the 99-year history of the NFL. Basically, the Redskins will only have to worry about one guy and that is Jason Pierre-Paul. Redskins coach Brother of Chucky told Joe this spring that JPP always has been a thorn in his side. Opponents just have to keep pace with the Bucs offense. That’s what every team has basically done with the Bucs this year. The offense will get its points; opponents just have to rack up points against the rollover Tampa Bay defense. The Redskins may be better than the Bucs but that does not make them a good team. The Bucs play three patsies in a row. If the Bucs lose all three, Joe can smell the bleach from here that will be coming for the housecleaning of One Buc Palace in January. The Bucs could begin their redemption today. Like the rest of the season, they just have to outscore their own defense. To help the Bucs even further, the Redskins downgraded wide receiver Jamison Crowder to out, per Adam Schefter.

Trinkets: Redskins QB Alex Smith passed for season-high 306 yards and a touchdown last week. In two career games against the Bucs, he has 431 passing yards with four interceptions touchdowns and one interception with a rushing touchdown. He has 3,290 passing yards (274.2 per game) with 24 touchdowns against five picks in his last 12 road games. … RB Adrian Peterson has 95+ rushing yards in three of his last four games. In four games against the Bucs, he has 462 rushing yards (115.5 per game) and five running touchdowns and now looks for his fourth straight game against the Bucs with 120+ rushing yards. … RB Kapri Bibbs is seeking his third straight game with a rushing touchdown.  … TE Jordan Reed had a career-high 11 receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns in his last game against the Bucs. … WR Maurice Harris set career-highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (124) last week. … WR Josh Doctson caught a touchdown pass last week. … DL Matt Ioannidis had a career-high seven tackles and a sack last week. He has 3.5 sacks and three tackles for loss in his past two games. In his last three road games, Ioannidis has 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. … LB Ryan Kerrigan aims for his fourth straight game with a sack. In his last four games against an NFC South team, Kerrigan has three sacks. … CB Quinton Dunbar had a pick last week. He has four passes defended and an interception in his last two road games. … CB Josh Norman had two picks including a 46-yard touchdown return and four passes defended in his last game against the Bucs in October 2015. Norman has two forced fumbles and an interception in his last four games. … QB Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 243 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions last week. He has three games with four or more touchdown passes this season, most in the NFC. In his last two home starts, he has 813 passing yards (406.5 per game) with seven touchdowns and four picks. Fitz has 721 pass yards (240.3 per game) with five touchdowns and two interceptions in his last three games against the Redskins. … RB Peyton Barber has two touchdowns in his last four games. … WR Mike Evans had eight catches for 164 yards and a score the last time the Bucs played Washington. Evans has five games with 150+ receiving yards since 2015, second-most in the NFC over the same span trailing only Julio Jones. Evans has 23 receptions for 327 yards (109 per game) and two scores in his past three home games. … WR Adam Humphries had a career-high eight catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns last week, his first multi-touchdown game. Humphries is looking for his third straight game with at least seven catches. … TE O.J. Howard had two touchdowns last week. It was his second game with at least two touchdowns. Looking for his third straight game with a touchdown catch. Tied for third in NFL for most touchdown catches (five). … OLB Lavonte David had eight tackles, a half-sack and a bad loaf on a 33-yard Stinking Panthers scoring play last week. David has 26 tackles, five tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in his last three games at the Den of Depression. In three games against the Redskins, David has 36 tackles (12 per game) and three tackles for loss. David has three tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and two picks including a 20-yard interception return for a touchdown in his last three games against the NFC East. … DE Carl Nassib had a sack last week to bring his season total to three. … DE Jason Pierre-Paul is third in the NFC in sacks with eight.