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The Washington Football Team will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round of the 2021 NFL Playoffs. They’ll enjoy a home-field advantage as the first-place team in the NFC East, despite a 7-9 record to close the season. The game will take place Saturday, January 9th at FedExField with kick-off at 8:20 p.m. ET. Ahead of their matchup, we take a look at Washington’s final injury report to see how these injuries may affect the team heading into their playoff matchup.
Washington final injury report
Out: Thomas Davis Sr. (knee)
Doubtful: N/A
Questionable: Antonio Gibson (toe), Terry McLaurin (ankle), Kevin Pierre-Louis (ankle), Alex Smith (calf)
Notable players on in-week report who were removed from final: Kendall Fuller (knee), Brandon Scherff (shoulder)
How injuries could affect Bucs vs. Washington matchup
Washington is coming in as eight-point underdogs, so it needs all the help it can get during Wild Card weekend. Unfortunately, the Football Team has some key players on the injury report. Starting with Alex Smith, he could play in this game but would likely not be 100% healthy. The same applies to wide receiver Terry McLaurin. It would be a surprise if McLaurin doesn’t suit up, and it’s possible backup QB Taylor Heinicke is the better option if Smith is still nowhere close to full strength. Regardless, the quarterbacks for Washington will be difficult to rely on no matter who lines up under center.
Running back Antonio Gibson was listed questionable prior to last week’s game, but he still carried the ball 19 times and had a successful performance. He’s the team’s best back, and the Buccaneers have an elite run defense.
Linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis hasn’t played since Dec. 13, and Washington could be without him again. Thomas Davis Sr. has been put into a backup role for this season, and he announced previously this will be his final season, so he may have played his final game.