Welcoming the Return of Winning Ways in Washington

Okay Chiefs fans, time to move on from all that Denver drama. Believe it or not, the regular season continues this Sunday, and the Washington Redskins have no sympathy for KC's recent woes. The last three games were all hard-fought losses that shouldn't shake KC's personality as a football team overall. A loss to the struggling Redskins could send the Chiefs on a desperate search for their lost identity.

Washington struggles defensively and through the air on offense, but their rushing game is at the top of the league. A combination of RGIII and Alfred Morris makes Washington the #1 ranked running team in the NFL. It's a poetic sign of the times that this elite rushing attack has earned the Skins a 3-9 record and a firm grasp of last place in their division. Griffin has thrown 11 picks this year, and an uninspiring offensive line has allowed him to be sacked 15 times in the last 3 games.

While the QB deserves much of the blame since he will always earn the credit for success, but RGIII shouldn't be the only Redskin held accountable. AdvancedNFLStats.com ranks only one Redskin receiver within the top 75 (Pierre Garcon at #20) in order of Win Probability Added. For the sake of comparison, three Chiefs receivers rank in the top 75, but all of them (Avery, Bowe and McCluster, in that order) rank below Garcon. With both teams boasting strong running games and iffy pass attacks, viewers of tomorrow's game can expect the clock to keep running and this game to move very quickly.

Here are my five predictions for Sunday's game in Washington:

1- Alfred Morris ranks 6^th league-wide in Win Probability Added by a running back. Look for Morris to gain at least 80 yards and Griffin to make up the rest to make it five consecutive games in which KC gave up at least 100 yards on the ground. This should keep the game closer, and lower-scoring, than most would expect.

2- Another matchup that should keep this game competitive is Redskin linebackers vs. Chief offensive tackles. Branden Albert is injured for Sunday's game, leaving Donald Stephenson to fill his place on the line. Stephenson has impressed many in the past few weeks as a fill-in, but the Redskins will do whatever they can to utilize Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan in this game. Although I'm expecting a win, I'm also expecting at least two sacks allowed by KC's offensive line.

3- The Washington defense ranks 23^rd in yards allowed per game and gives up the 2^nd most points per game in the league. Despite some pressure on Alex Smith, expect the Chiefs to score 30+ points for the third straight week.

4- An angry secondary with a bruised ego should bounce back against a less imposing QB this week. Expect RGIII to give up at least one pick and gain less than 250 yards through the air.

5- After limping into the first face-off with Denver after two ugly games against subpar opponents, the Chiefs were sent reeling on a three-game losing streak. This Sunday, the opposite effect should take place. After standing strong against two powerful teams in three weeks, KC should come into tomorrow's game with plenty of confidence and a huge chip on their shoulder. An emerging Chiefs offense should be able to outscore the struggling Skins. KC finally returns to their winning ways with a 30-20 win in Washington.

Oh, and if you're wondering, KC needs to win out and see Peyton lose twice against the Titans, Chargers, Texans and Raiders in order to reclaim the #2 seed. While the odds aren't in KC's favor, a Denver loss to Tennessee tomorrow could make the rest of the regular season waaay more interesting for fans in the Kingdom. Stay tuned to CBS after tomorrow's noon-time Chiefs game to see if the Broncos can choke enough to keep KC's hopes for a home playoff game alive.

UPDATE: Actually, if you're a SureWest subscriber like myself, you won't be seeing the Broncos game. Instead, CBS will be showing the Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest. Fantastic.