Even though the Washington Redskins are the defending NFC East champions, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are popular picks to overtake them in 2016. Washington hopes to repeat, and can give some evidence to back up that goal with a solid Week 3 preseason performance against the Buffalo Bills. Quarterback Kirk Cousins will have a tough matchup against the Bills’ defense, but if he can get things clicking the Redskins should be able to come away with the victory in NFL odds.
This Week 3 preseason matchup will be held on Friday, August 26th, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. ET at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
Odds Analysis
These teams are pretty even talent-wise, so this one is a hard one to judge. However, Cousins has the most dynamic passing arm of all the quarterbacks on the field, and he is capable of getting hot at any time. If the Washington offense plays well in what is expected to be some extensive time on the field, it should be able to win the game. However, check the spread when it becomes available, because the Bills could pull a backdoor cover. Cardale Jones has some talent as Buffalo’s third signal-caller, and he could lead a late touchdown drive.
Quarterback Rotation
Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins had a breakout 2015 season and will see the most snaps of the preseason here in the third game against the Bills. He didn’t play last time out against the New York Jets and figures to be raring to go.
Colt McCoy started against the Jets and completed 13-of-16 passes for 159 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He is a reliable backup and should play well however long he sees the field in this contest. Nate Sudfeld was 10-of-20 for 77 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in the game against the Jets, but it’s unknown how much he will play in this contest.
Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor recently signed a multi-year extension and he played well in last week’s 21-0 win over the New York Giants. Taylor was 7-of-10 passing for 132 yards and a touchdown, and he will aim for similar success against a Redskins defense which still has trouble at times, even with the addition of star cornerback Josh Norman.
Cardale Jones was 6-of-12 for 83 yards with an interception during his time against the Giants, while E.J. Manuel finished 8-of-13 for 69 yards and a touchdown. The Bills have one of the most talented trios of quarterbacks in the NFL, which can swing preseason games since they all get playing time.
Coaching History
Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden is an impressive 7-3 during the preseason in his stint as head coach. Gruden has gone 3-1 each of the past two years but will need to reel off a pair of victories the rest of the way in order to match that gaudy win-loss record in 2016.
Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan has a career preseason record of 14-16. He has gone 2-2 in five previous seasons and is headed in that direction once again if he splits the final two games this year.
Free ATS Pick
The Bills’ defense was dynamite last time out, allowing no points to the Giants. Coach Rex Ryan likes to be aggressive even in the preseason, and his team is only giving up an average of nine points per game through two games this exhibition season. However, the Redskins will be going full tilt with their starters for much of the game, and slowing down Cousins is much more difficult than mostly backups.
Tyrod Taylor is a solid quarterback but not as explosive as Cousins. LeSean McCoy is a very talented running back, but since he is an established star, Ryan may not give him too many carries to save his body for the regular season. The Bills have looked good in the preseason but could suffer a loss at the hands of the Redskins in NFL odds.
NFL Odds: Redskins 24, Bills 22
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