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Heh... Nice to see some reasonable predictions... but a Blowout?? I don't think so.
First let me that I completely enjoyed the way that your Skins "jobbed" Mike Vick. But as some of you already know, Brad Johnson, though as mobile as Jimmy Hoffa, CAN read and effectively counter blitzes.
The true test for the Bucs, however, is whether or not they can stop Clinton Portis. Is Portis really that good, or was he a product of the Denver system?
The Bucs defense is known primarily for speed. To gain speed, teams generally sacrifice size and strength. Ergo the Bucs achilles... the power runner. I assume that Portis may score a TD or two. I ALSO assume that the Bucs defense will score at least once (read: SB XXXVII).
This may be the Bucs biggest "test" this season. Some of you have noted that the Bucs lost Lynch and Sapp.. Worry not, those two hadn't performed really well the last couple of years. We have acquired Ian Gold, and with the return of Shelton Quarrels and Brian Kelly, our defense hasn't lost anything.
This will be the game between two old guys: Brunell and Johnson. Both guys are rapidly approaching fifty, and both are savvy veterans. Props to Gibbs for recognizing that Brunell is a better choice over Ramsey for starter. The experience of both quarterbacks should negate any inconsistancis that both offensive lines have.
A blowout? Hardly. Both teams have problem areas that the other will surely exploit. I give the edge to the Redskins (this time) with it being the Skins home opener AND the return of Gibbs. 20-19
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