The Washington Redskins went from front-runners for the division title to firmly out of the playoff race in a matter of weeks, thanks in large part to a plethora of quarterback issues. Week 15 won’t be any kinder to them, however, as they travel to Jacksonville to face a Jaguars team that is 9-3 SU in its last 12 home games. With the Redskins deep into the depth chart, they are 7-point underdogs in the contest, with the total set at a paltry 36 points.
- Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games after an ATS loss.
- The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Jacksonville’s last 18 early afternoon games.
- The UNDER has hit in six of Washington’s last eight road games (avg. combined score: 38.75).
Redskins vs Jaguars Game Center
THIS SUNDAY I’M BETTING WASHINGTON +7
Washington has lost four straight games and five of its last six. The ’Skins went from starting quarterback Alex Smith, who went down for the season with a gruesome leg injury, to backup Colt McCoy, who went down with a broken ankle, to first-round bust Mark Sanchez, who was nothing short of abysmal and was mercifully benched, leaving journeyman Josh Johnson as the man to come under center.
Sanchez was the starter in last week’s 40-16 humiliation at the hands of the New York Giants, but after going 6-for-14 for 29 yards and two interceptions, he was replaced by Johnson. The former fifth-round pick went 11-for-16 for 195 yards, a touchdown and an interception, as well as adding seven rushes for 45 yards and a score.
The only plus for the Redskins is that they’re facing a Jacksonville team that has been nothing short of abysmal since benching Blake Bortles for Cody Kessler in Week 13. In two games since that move, the Jags have a total of 15 points.
Neither club appears to have much going for it right now offensively, so I don’t anticipate either team pulling away in this contest. I expect Jacksonville to come away with the win, but winning by a touchdown seems like too tall a task. I’ll put my money on the game coming down to a matter of field goals, which means Washington wins ATS.
HOW DOES ANYONE MOVE THE BALL?
With the teams coming into the game with currently the two least intimidating passing attacks, the question to ask is how will these offenses move the chains on Sunday?
For Jacksonville, running the ball seems like a viable option. Washington’s defense has yielded an average of 149.8 rushing yards per game over the last six contests, and the Jaguars possess one of the league’s more talented backs in Leonard Fournette.
The Redskins, on the other hand, likely will have just as much difficulty running the ball as they will throwing it. Outside of an Adrian Peterson 90-yard run in Week 13, the ’Skins have just 98 rushing yards over the past two weeks and face a Jaguars defense that, despite giving up an absurd 264 yards on the ground last week, held three of its previous four opponents to under 100 rushing yards.
With the running game forecasted for Sunday, don’t expect the scoreboard to light up too quickly. That could make the UNDER an interesting play, even when the total is as low as 36 points.
THIS START A LONG TIME COMING
For Washington quarterback Josh Johnson, his start in Week 15 will be his first since Week 13 in 2011, when he was under center for Tampa Bay in a 38-19 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Seven years later, he’s again under center for a team with playoff hopes all but extinguished, but he does have a chance to notch his first career win as a starter.
Johnson looked good in limited relief during their Week 14 loss, displaying both accuracy and an ability to scramble when the play calls for it. He’ll need to earn his win, however, as the Redskins are very thin in receiving talent, and the running game has been smothered recently.
