TAMPA, Fla. -- Here are 10 things to know about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' matchup against the Washington Redskins on Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland:

1. Mike Evans has good memories of Washington. The wide receiver had a career-high 209 yards with two touchdowns on seven catches in a road victory over the Redskins in Week 11 last year. That outing ended an impressive three-game run in which Evans totaled 458 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Since then, he has just one game of at least 100 yards receiving. Another big day against Washington would be a needed boost for him.

2. Sunday's game is a "code red" for the Redskins. Sound too dramatic? Not to Washington coach Jay Gruden, who gave that label to this game after his team lost to the Jets in Week 6. The Redskins have dropped two consecutive games and three of their past four. After their bye in Week 8, they face the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Consider Washington alarmed.

3. Doug Martin has a chance to continue his momentum. The rejuvenated running back ranks ninth in the NFL with 405 rushing yards, and he'll face a Washington defense that's 23rd against the run (118.2 yards per game). The Bucs would be wise to give Martin plenty of chances to make his presence known. He enters with two consecutive 100-yard rushing games. The Redskins allowed 221 yards rushing against the Jets.

4. The Bucs' struggling pass defense could recover. Before breaking for the bye, coach Lovie Smith called out his secondary for its part in allowing Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles to throw for 303 yards with four touchdowns. The group has a chance for redemption against Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has thrown six touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 77.4 passer rating this season. Tampa Bay has collected just three picks this year.

5. It's unknown if DeSean Jackson will play. The veteran wide receiver has missed five consecutive games, and it remains to be seen if he'll appear against the Bucs. Jackson, who has yet to catch a pass this season, tweaked his hamstring in practice last Thursday. Before the setback, Gruden had been optimistic that the three-time Pro Bowler would return soon.

6. A pair of Washington defenders have recent Tampa Bay ties. Linebacker Mason Foster and safety Dashon Goldson spent time together with the Bucs. Foster entered the NFL with Tampa Bay as a third-round draft pick in 2011, and he started 54 games with the franchise before departing as a free agent this past offseason. Goldson signed a five-year, $41 million deal with the Bucs in 2013. He was traded to the Redskins in April for a 2016 sixth-round pick.

7. Rashad Ross can be dangerous as a kick returner. The wide receiver is fifth in the NFL in kickoff returns, averaging 27.1 yards on 13 attempts. He showed the ability to break a long one with a 101-yard touchdown in a loss to the Giants in Week 3. Bucs kicker Connor Barth displayed his leg strength in Week 5 by allowing just three returns. Still, the Bucs can't afford to be too relaxed in this area.

8. Cousins will be a different look for the Bucs. In last year's matchup, Tampa Bay sacked Robert Griffin III six times and intercepted him twice. Cousins is a different kind of quarterback, but the potential is there to rattle him as well. He has thrown two picks each in four games this season, and he posted a season-worst 57.9 passer rating against the Jets. The more pressure the Bucs create against the struggling signal-caller, the better off they'll be.

9. Gruden made a stop in Tampa early in his coaching career. He served as an offensive assistant from 2002-08 when his brother, Jon, coached the Bucs. From there, Jay spent two years with the UFL's Florida Tuskers, before serving as the Bengals' offensive coordinator from 2011-13. He's 6-16 as Washington's head coach.

10. Washington benefits from playing in the wide-open NFC East. Even at 2-4, the Redskins are just one game behind the Eagles and Giants for first place. The NFC East and AFC South are the only divisions in which a 3-3 team claims the top position. The Bucs are already three games behind the Panthers in the NFC South.