Washington CommandersWashington Commanders vs. Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals Pick Center

Bet Now
 Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden spent three years helping to develop Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy DaltonNow he needs to beat him in a game critical for both teams' playoff chances when the Bengals 'host' the Redskins at Wembley Stadium in London at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Gruden, who served the Bengals' offensive coordinator for three seasons (2011-13) under head coach Marvin Lewis before coming to Washington, is facing his former team for the first time." We did a lot of great things over there, we thought, but come game time it's going to be another game that we have to win," Gruden said after Wednesday's practice. "They're very well-coached, they have a good football team. ... It will be a great test for us." The Redskins (4-3) had won four straight before losing to Detroit in the final seconds Sunday and trail the Cowboys (5-1) and Eagles (4-2) in the NFC East. After this Sunday, they'll enjoy a bye before a brutal stretch of games in which they host Minnesota and Green Bay before road games at Dallas, Arizona and Philadelphia." You always have an understanding of the competition and where you are," Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins said. "But at the same time, there's a lot of football left to be played and it's a boring cliche, but it's always going to be one game at a time. That's the best way to approach it and see where we are at the end." The Bengals (3-4), off a win over the Cleveland Browns, are tied for second in the AFC North, only one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. They still have four games remaining in the division as they look for a sixth straight playoff berth. Washington's biggest concern is their health as arguably their three best players -- tight end Jordan Reed (concussion), left tackle Trent Williams (knee), and cornerback Josh Norman (concussion, wrist) -- are on the injury report. All three were limited in practice Wednesday but could play Sunday. In addition, running back Matt Jones (knee) did not practice and Gruden said Robert Kelley will start if Jones can't play. The Redskins gained 417 yards against the Lions but scored just 17 points. That was due in part to losing two fumbles, one by Jones that Detroit recovered in their own end zone. The Redskins are averaging 4.8 yards per rushing attempt. They have rushed for more than 125 yards in each of their last two games and will face the league's 24th-ranked rushing defense. Cousins completed 30 of 38 passes against Detroit for 301 yards." They give you a full dose of everything, both run and pass," Lewis said. "A lot of different formations, lot of different route combinations and so forth." The Bengals and Redskins rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in yards per game but 23rd and 15th in points per game as they rank near the bottom in red zone offense, both scoring touchdowns on just 42.9 percent of their trips inside the 20. Cincinnati gained 559 yards against Cleveland. Dalton, the NFL's seventh-rated passer (100.8), has six touchdowns and no picks in his last four games, finishing with a passer rating above 100 in each." I think things have changed," Dalton said when asked about the Redskins having the advantage of Gruden knowing the Bengals' offense. "We've got some new players -- obviously there's still some guys that are still here from when he was here -- but I feel like we've added a few guys. I think things have changed enough that I'm not too worried about that." Dalton is on a pace (4,720 yards) to shatter his team record (4,293) for passing yards in a season." I see a lot of similarities between Kirk and Andy," Lewis said. "I think they both do an incredible job at the line of scrimmage surveying the defense and getting in and out of the right plays. You see the Redskins doing a lot of play changes at the line of scrimmage, which is what Andy has been so good at for us here." The Redskins, perhaps minus Norman, will have to find a way to stop A. J. Green, who leads the NFL with 50 catches and has 775 yards and three touchdowns." We're going to have to change up the coverages, figure out ways to beat him up a little bit at the line of scrimmage, and play a safety over the top from time to time, play a third, play somebody underneath him, and then play some man-to-man," Gruden said. Jeremy Hill, coming off a nine-carry, 168-yard effort against the Browns, should find holes against the Redskins' 26th-ranked run defense. The Bengals lead the series 5-4. They won the last meeting 38-31 in 2012 and haven't lost to the Redskins since 1991, winning three straight.

Looking for More Picks?

You can browse all the individual handicapper picks below.

TKWins.com

Latest NFL News

Dean Sports
Dean Sports