It’s shaping up to be a pretty interesting season for the Washington Redskins, who have already experienced a number of different ups and downs. Many fans will remember that before the season, quarterback Rex Grossman predicted a division title for Washington, and received mostly ridicule in response. However, Washington got off to a quick start, and the NFC East doesn’t look quite as tough as many thought it would be. Now, 7 weeks into the season, the Redskins are 3-3, right in the hunt and only a game behind the 1st place New York Giants. This places a lot of significance on Washington’s Week 8 game at Buffalo.
The Bills have been another surprising team this year, having jumped out to a 3-0 start, which included a shocking comeback victory over the New England Patriots. The Bills have since cooled off a bit and are now 4-2, but have still proven to be more of a force than many expected, and remain undefeated at home. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a pleasant surprise and a fantastic performer, and the rushing tandem of Fred Jackson (who is having a spectacular year) and C.J. Spiller has Buffalo ranked 4th in the league in rushing yards, according to ESPN. The Bills are far from perfect, but they’re a very tough team to beat, and have proven to themselves that they can compete in their division.
The Redskins, meanwhile, have struggled a bit to find an identity, despite having a decent start to the season. They have generally been fairly solid on defense this year, but have faltered slightly the last two weeks. They will need to re-gain their early season form to neutralize both Fred Jackson and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Washington allowed Carolina Panthers Cam Newton and Steve Smith, to have huge performances on Sunday, which led to a 33-20 Panthers win. After benching Rex Grossman in favor of John Beck, all eyes were on the quarterback position against the Panthers, and Beck did quite well considering his lack of playing time and game experience. With another week to come together around Beck, hopefully the Redskins can find some offense in time to face Buffalo looking for a road win.
While this is technically a home game for the Bills, it’s really an away game for both teams, as the game will be played in Toronto, Canada. You may want to look into additional direct tv channels for this one. The game carries a lot of weight for both teams, and should set the winner up for continued success pressing forward. If the Bills win, many will continue to see them as serious contenders with the Patriots, whereas if Washington can pull off the win, they will be back in the hunt for the NFC East title.