Sunday, Bloody Sunday: Tampa Bay Buccaneers At The Washington Redskins

FedEx field was packed to the brim and fans cheered like never before in response to the show they were happy to pay for. That was Tuesday and it was U2 on the receiving end of the cheers.

The Redskins will not meet the same raucous reception from their home crowd this Sunday against Tampa Bay.

Over the first three weeks of the season, the Redskins have failed to live up to the expectations set by fans and the team itself. Jim Zorn preached so much about the benefit of continuity and stability, but it is not showing on the field.

Zorn's offense has shown the ability to move the ball up and down the field, finding only the red zone difficult to conquer.

The defense, on the other hand, doesn't show the ability to stop anyone.

Greg Blache has largely evaded the scrutiny of fans and the media, only taking blame in the past couple of days. The Redskins defense, which finished fourth in the NFL last season, has failed to live up to the expectations set by its performance a season ago.

The statistic that stands out for the defense is their inability to stop opponents on third down.They are dead last in the league, allowing a 51 percent conversion rate on third downs.

The defense hasn't generated turnovers or sacks with any regularity, recording just three turnovers and four sacks thus far.

In comparison, the Bengals, Broncos, and Eagles have ten sacks each.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are winless coming off of a 24-0 shut-out loss at home to the New York Giants.

Tampa Bay's defense is second to last in the NFL in terms of total yards allowed, giving up over 420 yards per game. If the Bucs have just one thing going for them it is that their offense has scored more than the Redskins.

The Redskins average 13.3 points per game. The Buccaneers average 13.7 points per game.

Redskins nation has already called this season a failure because of the absence of any sort of leadership, fire or production from the players or the coaches. The loss to the Lions buried the hopes of a successful season and has fans calling for some heads to roll.

The Redskins are in desperate need of a savior, but who is it going to be?

Jim Zorn has had trouble balancing the offense, seemingly discouraged by the lack of production from the tandem of Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. Neither back has shown much in the running game and now Portis is reportedly battling sore ankles.

The offense has had to lean heavily on the arm of Jason Campbell and he has responded with solid play.

Solid play isn't what fans want at this point in Campbell's tenure, but they are going to have to deal with it as long as Zorn is struggling with his balancing issues.

There are a plethora of things plaguing the Redskins at this early juncture of the season. The Buccaneers are the best and worst case scenario for the Redskins.

Tampa Bay is another winless team looking to capitalize on the recent stumbles of the Redskins. The Buccaneers are the first of three winless teams the Redskins will face in the coming weeks and represent one of the least threatening.

The Bucs are starting Josh Johnson, who has never started a game since entering the league last season. They are without Derrick Ward, who is out with a knee injury, which means the lion's share of the running game will fall to Cadillac Williams.

Williams has been quiet since his 97-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in the first week of the season, but has shown a renewed burst since having surgery to repair torn patellar tendons in both knees over the last two years.

The offense doesn't pose much of a threat, but the unknown and unproven Johnson is an athletic quarterback who will spread the field with his mobility. If the Redskins can contain Johnson and make him beat them with his arm, the game should be a defensive cake walk.

If the Redskins don't demolish the Buccaneers in the same fashion they were supposed to demolish the Lions then all the questions that have faced the team since Week One will remain.

The Redskins offense has to show more life against a rebuilding and reeling Buccaneers defense. If the Skins don't score at least 28 and hold the Bucs to less than a touchdown, the fans will let them hear it.

The NFL season is young, but the hopes of the Redskins rest on the outcome of Sunday's game. Win and the coaches and players have bought themselves a reprieve from the ire of the fans.

Losing is not an option.