This Week 2 matchup features two teams who pulled off upsets in Week 1 and find themselves on top of their respective divisions. The Washington Football Team (1-0) is headed out west to take on the Arizona Cardinals (1-0). This game will feature two second-year quarterbacks in Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray. They will look to build off of impressive week one performances.
Washington had an impressive Week 1 performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, winning 27-17, after a second-half comeback win. While the Eagles offensive line was depleted, Washington’s defensive line played like one of the best in the league. Carson Wentz was sacked eight times last week, with six different Washington defenders all getting a share of the wealth. Ryan Kerrigan led the way with two, while rookie Chase Young tallied 1.5. This team is healthy for the most part as the only listed concern right now is linebacker Cole Holcomb (knee).
Haskins performed well on offense, throwing for 178 yards and notching a six-yard touchdown pass to veteran tight end Logan Thomas. Free agent acquisition Peyton Barber got the majority of the rush attempts and capped it off with a pair of touchdown runs. However, the biggest run came from rookie Antonio Gibson, who broke off a 20-yard scamper. Haskins will look to continue to build a rhythm with a young receiving room led by Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims. Last week, Sims totaled 50 receiving yards, and another performance like that would be his fourth game in a row with 50 or more receiving yards.
Contrary to Washington, the Cardinals relied on offense to carry them to a 24-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Murray would throw for 230 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He would also rush for 91 yards and another touchdown. Newly acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins made the Houston Texans, who traded him away, look silly. He grabbed 14 passes for 151 receiving yards in his Cardinals debut. Kenyan Drake would rush for 60 yards and notched a rushing touchdown of his own. Washington’s defense will be in for a challenge this week.
The Cardinals’ defense did look solid in Week 1. They totaled three sacks, and six quarterback hits on quarterback Jimmy Garappolo. Safety Budda Baker put up 15 tackles on the night. While the 49ers were a dominant rushing team in 2019, the Cardinals slowed them down just enough to allow their offense to outrush them by 57 yards. Still, this could be a spot where Washington could look to exploit the Cardinals’ defense.
Game Info
Date: September 20, 2020
Start time: 1:05 P.M. pst
Location: Glendale, AZ
Stadium: State Farm Stadium
TV Info: FOX
Betting Odds Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook
Point Spread: WAS +7 (-110) | ARZ -7 (-110)
Moneyline: WAS +255 | ARZ -330
Over/Under: O 46.5 (-110)｜U 46.5 (-110)
Giving up 7 points is a decent margin, and the Cardinals likely won’t cover it this week. The Cardinals defense won’t be able to shut down Washington’s offense completely, so expect this to be a close margin. While both of these teams were strong in Week 1 on offense, Washington still has a few questions and with an over/under set at 46.5, the safe bet here would be to take the under.
Prediction
While Washington did look impressive in Week 1, they are going to be in for a different challenge at quarterback this week. This game could be a high scoring affair if Washington’s offense can get into a groove. However, the Cardinals’ offense and adequate defense will carry them to a comfortable victory this week.
Final Score: Washington 21, Arizona 27
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