Is Washington Football Team Built for Conservative COVID Games?

Ron Rivera's squad thrives on close, low-scoring games

Bad news: COVID is ravaging Washington like no other team.

Good news: No other team is better equipped to play a COVID game.

As COVID infects NFL players and forces the league to juggle its holiday scheduling, a trend has emerged. Games moved and/or directly affected by the virus tend to be conservative, low-scoring games.

Boring to some. But music to the ears of WFT and coach Ron Rivera.

Especially considering Garrett Gilbert might be the starting quarterback in Tuesday's NFC East showdown at the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington prefers old-school, grind-it-out football. With all its injuries (Logan Thomas, J.D. McKissic, etc.) and absences (Taylor Heinicke, Brandon Scherff, etc.), WFT cannot afford to get into an offensive shootout with the healthy, rested and more potent Eagles.

The blueprint, however, won't be a panic. Or, for Rivera's team, even a deviation from what's worked the last two seasons. WFT's plan remains three yards and a cloud of dust.

In the past couple of days, COVID has affected three NFL games with sobering results. The Saints - without coach Sean Payton - beat the Buccaneers, 9-0. On Monday the Browns started third-string quarterback Nick Mullens and lost to the Raiders, 16-14. With a couple players missing on each side, the Vikings beat the Bears, 17-9, which included a meaningless touchdown on the game's final play.

But, turns out, cold weather plus the virus should be a positive environment for WFT. During last season's run to the NFC East championship, Washington scored more than 27 points just once all season. And nine of its last 10 games were decided by one score.

When COVID forced a game at Pittsburgh to be moved to a Monday afternoon in December, WFT prevailed, 23-17.

Similarly this season, during its 4-1 resurrection which has it 6-7 and in the playoff race WFT hasn't scored - or allowed - 30 points. And its last four games were all decided by seven points or less.

COVID alterations. Cold weather. First one to 20 wins.

WFT was built for Tuesday night's kind of game.