Looking ahead

The GIST: With the Washington Football Team (WFT) facing another beatable opponent and the Spirit’s roster in flux, our emotions are...right back where they were last week: all over the place.

🏈On the gridiron: After a disappointing divisional loss last week, the WFT will look to rebound against the 3-5 Detroit Lions on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. With quarterback (QB) Kyle Allen undergoing season-ending surgery, comeback kid Alex Smith will start for the first time in almost two years. Just like riding a bike, right?

• Meanwhile, if he plays, running back (RB) Antonio Gibson will look to take advantage of Detroit’s poor rushing defense. If Gibson has a good day, it’ll be especially significant, as this is the first time the WFT will be playing WFT-turned-Lion RB Adrian Peterson, who they cut earlier this fall. Peterson will of course be playing “with a chip on [his] shoulder.”

⚽️ In low spirits: Tonight’s the night: the Spirit will find out which players they’re sending to Racing Louisville FC in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. While the Spirit’s protected list (players that Louisville cannot select) wasn’t too much of a surprise, they’ll still potentially lose players like forward Kumi Yokoyama and midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard. We’re not too good at goodbyes.

🥊One last thing: We’ve partnered with our friends at BoxUnion to bring our regional GISTers a complimentary LIVE fitness class on Saturday, November 21st at 12 p.m. ET. Register here for the class, plus the chance to win a three-month subscription to BoxUnion Digital and exclusive GIST swag. Come get your Laila Ali on!