When this Washington Football Team takes the field today under head coach Ron Rivera, they will be a steep 14 1/2 point underdog playing the hungry Baltimore Ravens who are looking to show they are the best team in Maryland. Yes, both teams play their home games in the state known as the Free State. The Ravens play in Baltimore and Washington plays in the former Raljon aka Landover separated by just 29 miles (52 kilometers) as the crow flies.
The team must determine the future of Dwayne Haskins Jr. who too often telegraphs his receiving targets as he did at times at Ohio State and usually got away with because he was not facing secondaries who read the quarterback’s eyes like a sharpshooter’s laser on a target. By now, Haskins should have graduated to the next level. Coach Rivera basically has his own cut-off point, and we could see Haskins pulled if today’s game is a blow-out.
“There are guys in that locker room that are playing well enough for us to win,” Rivera said. “And again, we have to make sure everyone is playing well enough for us to win at that point, and there is a cut-off point for me. There is.”
Fair or unfair, Haskins must perform better and show progress. He was poor last week with three interceptions that were all converted into touchdowns plus a costly fumble that sealed the WFT’s fate last week.
When you look at that 14 1/2 underdog point spread for Washington, history is on the side of the Ravens who have a record of 31-0 all-time with a Vegas spread as favorites of at least double-digits.
On the calendar, you hoped for a win against the Eagles which Rivera’s team got plus a win against the Cardinals and Browns before having to face a tough Ravens’ team. An upset win is what needed as a 1-3 hole will be tough to dig out of with the Los Angeles Rams game next week.
This game is being televised on CBS at 1 p.m. from FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
