The Washington Football Team is not being taken seriously by many after making the playoffs despite a 7-9 record. Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians is not among them.
Arians had an interesting take on Washington’s record, saying he is treating them like a 4-1 team thanks to Alex Smith’s presence at quarterback.
“We don’t see them as a 7-9 team, we see them as a 4-1 team because every time Alex Smith has played, they went 4-1 and had a plus-three turnover margin,” Arians said, via Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers’ official website. “It’s a different team when Alex is playing and we know that. We’re playing that 4-1 team, not that 7-9 team.”
Washington went 1-6 with Dwayne Haskins starting at quarterback in 2020, and he’s not even on the team anymore. Arians is taking the right approach here, even if the Buccaneers are favorites here.
Despite Arians’ respect, it’s pretty clear he’s not backing down from the challenge either.
