Game 10: Redskins (3-6) at Buccaneers (2-7)

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A real clash of the titans yesirree bob. Last season, Washington was 10-6 and Tampa Bay was 11-5 and they played an epically vacuous first-round playoff game with the Chris Simms throwing 2 INTs and the Sean Taylor getting ejected for spitting on Carnell Williams. Now, Tampa Bay has three starters on IR and new backup Luke McCown went directly from the PUP list to #2 QB. I expect we'll see Luke under center at some point this season.

Bruce Gradkowski is this year's Kyle Orton, pressed into service when the starter Chris Simms went down with a splenectomy. Bruce has played valiantly, starting the last six games and throwing 7 TD over 3 INTs. But he's also been sacked 15 times over that period, and I saw him trip over his own feet not once but twice in the Eagles game.

And speaking of that Eagles game, boy the Buccaneers look a lot like the Redskins don't they? Tampa Bay has two wins, a one-point victory over Cincinnati, a thought-to-be-legitimate team with an identity problem and no-way-that-should-have-happened two-point win over the Eagles. Recall if you will that there was no way Brian Westbrook should have taken that Dono dump 52 yards to paydirt, and then no way-er Matt Bryant should have been able to pull off that 62 yard field goal. Those two wins look a lot like the Redskins' two wins over the Jaguars and Cowboys. That third Redskins win? Well unfortunately for the Buccaneers, there is no Texans equivalent on the Tampa Bay schedule. This piece in the Tampa Tribune could have been written about the Redskins. This piece reads like it was written about Clinton.

In terms of the actual matchup, the Buccaneers just want to lay low for two quarters and hang on until the 15 minutes after halftime when Mr. Halftime Adjustments Gibbs has been sucking wind. The Buccaneers are 30th in the league in total offense and 24th in total defense. The Redskins somehow manage to hang in the middle of the pack at 16th, guessing on the strength of the running game, and are 30th in defense. The Washington Post says it's all about Jason. I say it's all about Ladell. If he's hot, we won't see much of TJ Duckett.

Offensively, the Redskins will be sending in the JV, with Jason Campbell making his first career start and with Clinton on IR and Santana likely out with a hammy, Ladell and Brandon Lloyd move front and center. Or maybe Antwaan Randle El. Who knows, they both have been kind of absent. Anyone find the football irony funny that Gradkowski is a 6th round draft choice, not projected as the future of the franchise, and has 6 more games experience than Jason Campbell, a former first rounder but whose rebate is about to expire? Despite this headline, Jason isn't an actual rookie.

Defensively, it might be a good idea for the Redskins to concetrate on stopping the run. The Buccaneers are 31st in the league, averaging 81 yards on the ground. It might be tempting for Greggy to say wow they're horrible on the ground so let's press them in coverage to which I say make teams play like they do, not like you want them to play. Playing an aggressive pass defense is a golden ticket to 150 yards for Carnell Williams.

You know it's getting bad when applehead himself, Brian Mitchell is taking Joe Gibbs to task. Coach, get back to you being you.

Hogs Haven previews: Offense, Defense, Miscellany. I'll be liveblogging as I can here and over there. This is a gameday open thread.