Redskins vs. Eagles: What's the Game Plan for Philadelphia?

The Philadelphia Eagles take on the Washington Redskins Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field, and they need a victory in order to keep their hopes of winning the NFC East alive.

Washington is in pole position for the suboptimal race to win the division after defeating the Buffalo Bills 35-25 last weekend. The Redskins can clinch the division and a spot in the playoffs with a victory Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Eagles took a blow to their morale last weekend, as they suffered an embarrassing 40-17 blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15. Now Philadelphia enters the final two weeks in playoff mode, as two straight victories guarantee them the NFC East title. The Eagles currently sit at 6-8, but they still have to play the Redskins at home Saturday night before they travel to MetLife Stadium to finish the regular season against the New York Giants.

The Redskins came out on top when these two teams faced each other earlier this season, as Kirk Cousins led Washington on a 90-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to win the game 23-20. However, a lot has changed since Week 4, as Philadelphia and Washington continue to develop under the control of relatively new quarterbacks behind center.

Let’s take a look at what Philadelphia needs to do on both sides of the ball in order to keep its playoff hopes alive this weekend at Lincoln Financial Field.

Offensive Game Plan

The Philadelphia offense has not lived up to the hype this season associated with Chip Kelly's system, but Sam Bradford's improvement in recent weeks has been one of the bright spots for the Eagles.

After returning in Week 13, Bradford looks like a completely different quarterback from the one who struggled with his play and confidence in the beginning of the season. He no longer looks afraid of injury, as he withstands pressure and delivers pinpoint throws from an often collapsing pocket. Bradford is still dealing with a sore left shoulder, but he showed last week that he's willing to take shots and play through the pain.

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One of the strengths of Bradford's game is his accuracy, which allows him to hit his targets in stride. This allows his receivers to get the ball in space and make the most of their opportunities after the catch. 

The 28-year-old is starting to establish clear go-to targets as well with Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz. Matthews racked up 159 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. Bradford turned to the wide receiver early in the game on several key occasions. Ertz also came up big with 78 yards and a touchdown, as he continues to create matchup problems for opposing defenses.

Bradford also faces a favorable matchup this weekend as Washington comes in with the 25th-ranked defense. The Redskins are 13th against the pass and 27th against the run. They are susceptible to a ground attack, but the Philadelphia offense is centered on Bradford's progression because of the struggles of its running game. 

The Washington secondary has struggled this season, as it has given up 26 passing touchdowns and only came away with nine interceptions through 14 games.

Bradford also already displayed the success he can have when these two teams played back in Week 4. He put together one of his best early-season performances, as he threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns against the Redskins secondary.

Philadelphia will hope to replicate some of its success from their encounter earlier this season. Bradford found success with deep shots to Riley Cooper for 62 yards and Miles Austin for 39 yards against the Redskins the first time around.

Defensive Game Plan

Washington's offensive design is similar to Philadelphia's only in the fact that it centers around the improved play of its quarterback.

Cousins completed 46 of 59 passes for 619 yards and just one interception combined in his last two games. He also threw for five touchdowns and ran for two more.

The Redskins are on a two-game winning streak, as they won back-to-back games against the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills. However, the Redskins suffered a heartbreaking 19-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys prior, which provided the blueprint for frustrating the Washington offense.

Dallas dialed up different blitz packages early and often to disrupt Cousins' rhythm. The Cowboys ended up with three sacks and six hits on the quarterback on the day. Washington does a good job of limiting the pressure on Cousins, as it has allowed the sixth-fewest sacks in the league with only 24.

However, Billy Davis is not shy to dial up the pressure, and the Eagles possess the players to generate an intimidating pass rush. Philadelphia has gotten to the quarterback 31 times this year, but its danger comes from its ability to bring pressure from a number of positions.

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Fletcher Cox leads the team with 7.5 sacks on the season and demands double-teams from opposing offensive lines, as he continues to collapse pockets and disrupt plays. Philadelphia also generates a strong pass rush on the outside as well with talented outside linebackers such as Brandon Graham (6.5 sacks) and Connor Barwin (six sacks).

Philadelphia will need to dial up the pressure early and often against Washington in order to limit the time Cousins has to find DeSean Jackson, Jordan Reed and his other weapons. Davis will hope to confuse the developing quarterback with pressure from the reliable sources such as Cox, but he can also bring the heat from other contributors such as Mychal Kendricks and Vinny Curry.

Key Players and Matchups

DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson missed the opportunity to play against his former team back in Week 4. The wide receiver will now have the chance to play a role in eliminating the Eagles from the playoff race.

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The speedy receiver has already been an Eagles killer in his short stint in Washington. Through his two games against Philadelphia last year, Jackson caught nine passes for 243 yards. He also has the ability to take the top off the Eagles secondary, since he caught an 81-yard touchdown pass against it last season.

The 29-year-old also faces a favorable matchup against the rookie Eric Rowe, since Byron Maxwell is questionable with a shoulder injury, according to the team's injury report. Rowe has impressed in the last few weeks, but it is a tough task to cover a player who only needs one play to turn the game upside down. Philadelphia will need to provide safety help over the top to protect the corner.

Malcolm Jenkins

Malcolm Jenkins may be one of the snubs of this year's Pro Bowl, as the veteran continues to be one of the best all-around safeties in the NFL. The 28-year-old is one of the most valuable players on Philadelphia's entire roster because of his leadership and versatility.

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Jenkins is listed as a safety, but Philadelphia will likely need him to play cornerback this weekend because of its lack of depth from injuries. The seven-year veteran played corner at Ohio State University and has played in the nickel spot for the Eagles on several occasions this season.

He will face a difficult task this weekend, as he will likely line up against Jamison Crowder. The rookie bothered Philadelphia all game long in Week 4 with a team-leading seven catches for 65 yards. With Jackson opening up space deep, Philadelphia needs its leading tackler to handle Crowder underneath in space.

Prediction

The Eagles need a win on Saturday night; otherwise, their season ends in disappointment with the Redskins clinching the NFC East and a home playoff game.

As mentioned before, Washington games into the game with a one-game advantage, but Philadelphia's resume—although not spectacular—looks a little better at this point. The Eagles are the only team in the NFC East to beat a team with a winning record. Philadelphia accomplished this against a tough AFC East division with victories over the New York Jets and New England Patriots.

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This is also likely the most important game of Chip Kelly's young career as an NFL head coach. The Eagles won 10 games in each of his first two seasons in charge, and now Philadelphia can only reach a maximum of eight wins this year if it takes care of business in the final two weeks. Despite the frustrations, Philadelphia still controls its destiny and can salvage this underwhelming season with a playoff birth.

The first step is beating the Redskins this weekend, and the Eagles need an improved contribution from their running game in order to do so. The Eagles average 112.7 yards per game on the ground, but their performances have been declining in the last few weeks. But this weekend, Philadelphia will establish a consistent running game against Washington's 28th-ranked rush defense. DeMarco Murray will not return to glory this weekend, but he will help the Eagles get over 100 yards on the ground collectively against a defense that gives up 129.8 rushing yards per game.

This mild success will open up the play-action passing game that helped Bradford succeed against the Redskins in Week 4. Instead of Cooper and Austin scoring deep, Bradford will return to his favorite targets of Ertz and Matthews. The tight end scored with a 22-yard catch against Arizona last weekend, while the second-year receiver found himself wide open for a 78-yard touchdown.

On the other side, Cousins has struggled with ball security away from home, as the quarterback has thrown an interception in all 12 of his away games in his career. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is tied for sixth in the NFL with 15 interceptions on the year. Look for one of the Eagles safeties to come away with an interception in double coverage against Cousins.

In typical NFC East fashion, this game will be a tightly contested battle with a lot at stake. And instead of Cousins repeating his heroics from their earlier contest, Bradford will come away with accolades following this Week 16 showdown.

The Eagles will squeeze out a a tight three-point victory over the Redskins to give Kelly the opportunity to win his second division title in three years in the final week of the regular season.

Final Prediction: Eagles 27, Redskins 24