After a gap of five years, the Washington Football Team has emerged victorious in the NFC East. However, their entry into the NFL postseason has been marred by a significant amount of controversy.
During NFL Week 17, three teams from the NFC East were in contention for the championship in what is considered the weakest division in the league.
Following their narrow 23-19 victory against the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants were reliant on the Philadelphia Eagles defeating Washington in order to secure a three-way tiebreaker, surpass their rivals, and clinch the division.
However, the Eagles disappointingly performed poorly, suffering a defeat of 20-14, and faced numerous allegations of intentionally tanking to enhance their position in the NFL Draft.
The subhead in Monday’s Washington Post perfectly sums it up: “This team is destined for the playoffs. The journey to get there is inconsequential.”
Flightless Eagles Help WFT to NFL Postseason
The playoff qualification of the Washington Football Team in the NFL didn’t go down well with certain individuals, particularly a significant number of players on the NY Giants team.
To put it plainly, Washington did not resemble a Super Bowl contender in their Sunday Night Football game against Philadelphia. This was evident despite the fact that the Eagles had almost ten of their key players sidelined. Even when the Eagles substituted a third-string quarterback, Washington still only managed to narrowly defeat a team that appeared to be intentionally playing poorly.
Did the Eagles deliberately give up and intentionally perform poorly on Sunday to secure a better order in the NFL Draft, knowing they had no chance of winning the NFC East?
Doug Pederson, the head coach of the Eagles, was insistent that his team was determined to secure a victory. Nevertheless, the Giants, who helplessly witnessed their sole opportunity to qualify for the playoffs vanish, were skeptical of his claims. Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels, the commentators for Sunday Night Football, found it challenging to refrain from expressing their doubts.
Head coach Ron Rivera of Washington has no plans to issue an apology.
It appears that everyone expects me to apologize for winning, but I refuse to do so. The game is played according to the established rules, and nobody expressed any complaints when Pittsburgh engaged in similar behavior against Cleveland last night. This is simply the reality of the situation. We managed to secure a spot in the playoffs despite having a record of 7-9. In the past, I have been part of teams with records of 7-8-1 and 8-8 that made it to the playoffs. I believe apologies are necessary for losing in the playoffs, not for reaching them.
Washington vs. Tampa Bay Spread, Moneyline and Total
Washington, holding a 7-9 overall record along with a 4-2 division record, secures a No. 4 seed for the NFL postseason and wild card weekend. In the upcoming playoffs, they face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5), who clinched a wild-card spot to qualify for the postseason.
The initial point spread for Saturday’s game (8:15 p.m. ET, NBC) had Tampa Bay as a 7.5-point favorite. However, by Monday afternoon, the early bettors had increased the spread to 8 points.
Tampa Bay was heavily favored at 4-1 (-400) on the moneyline, while Washington had a comeback potential of +335.
Initially set at 46.5, the overall count experienced a decrease to 45.5 by Monday due to betting activities.
In Sunday’s game, the Buccaneers demonstrated a dominant performance, defeating the Atlanta Falcons with a score of 42-27. Quarterback veteran Tom Brady showcased his skills, throwing for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns, while wide receiver Antonio Brown also excelled with 138 yards and 2 touchdowns. Nevertheless, the upcoming challenge for Tampa Bay lies in facing the Washington defense, which boasts an impressive record of allowing just 304.6 yards per game, the second-best in the NFL. This will undoubtedly be a test for the Buccaneers, particularly if their top receiver Mike Evans is unable to play due to a knee injury.
Washington Football Team quarterback, Alex Smith, is set to return as the team makes their playoff push. The quarterback position has been a constant source of trouble in Washington, but Smith’s inspiring comeback season will face a tough challenge. Additionally, the rest of Washington’s ground game, including Antonio Gibson, will have their work cut out for them against the formidable rushing defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Like every NFL game this season, it’s crucial to monitor the odds due to the unpredictable impact of injuries and COVID-related lineup changes. The odds might fluctuate significantly as the week progresses.
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