Breaking down major NFL playoff implications in Week 11 schedule
By Ian Wharton
Houston Texans at Washington Redskins
The AFC’s and NFC’s fourth seed collide this week and the Houston Texans and Washinton Redskins share quite a bit in common. Both are 6-3 and lead their divisions, somewhat surprisingly. Neither seems to have the confidence of the public as favorites to close out the season as divisional winners.
Houston doesn’t have a good team, but rather extreme strengths they’ve been able to ride for six straight wins. Their offensive play-calling from Bill O’Brien is repetitive and predictable. The blocking is poor on top of it. And the secondary is severely lacking talent.
Yet, the passing game thrives due to Deshaun Watson’s ability to extend plays, and the defensive front seven carries the defense. They’ve beat a bunch of bad teams, and each of their wins looks nearly identical as they have to open up the offense in the second half to finally score points.
This will likely be a good enough strategy to win the South as long as they win their head-to-head game next week. They have somewhat favorable games against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New York Jets, and Jacksonville left on the schedule. It’s possible they hit 10 wins.
Due to their two-game lead, this game isn’t quite as critical for Washington, but it does represent a significant win if they can pull it off. As the Eagles play the Saints, the Redskins could jump to three-games up on the incumbent champions with a win and Eagles loss.
What the Redskins are doing is not a fluke. They’re an average but veteran team with a reliable quarterback, and quality defensive front seven. Even in a pass-dominated league, that’s a recipe that’s allowed them to win games they should, even if it means also consistently losing when they’re the lesser team.
Washington is a high-floor, low-ceiling team due to their offensive personnel. They can grind out a win this week by keeping Watson in the pocket and forcing him to play within the structure. It’s easier said than done, but defensive studs like Matt Ioannidis, Ryan Kerrigan, and Daron Payne will help.
Prediction: Washington 24-23