Dissecting Best Individual Matchups to Watch in Philadelphia Eagles' Week 3 Game

Last year, the Chip Kelly offense debuted against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. Washington put forth a furious second-half comeback, but still the end result was a 33-27 Eagles win that featured a tremendous performance from Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy, 443 total offensive yards and a hurry-up offense never quite seen before.

Sunday's initial Eagles-Redskins matchup will be vastly different than Week 1 of 2013; each team will put forth a different quarterback, and Washington is now coached by first-year coach Jay Gruden. Nick Foles is under center for Philadelphia (Foles did beat the 'Skins 24-16 later in the year), but with RGIII sidelined due to a dislocated ankle, Foles will be opposed by third-year quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Cousins is a traditional pocket passer who played extremely well a week ago, albeit his opponent being the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But the big story leading up to this divisional game will be the health of three-time Pro Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson, who was released from Philadelphia this past offseason in a highly controversial move. Jackson left last Sunday's game early with a shoulder injury, but it appears likely he will suit up to face his old team.

Nick Wass/Associated Press

How Jackson fares against coordinator Billy Davis' defense will go a long way in determining the game's outcome. Jackson possesses tremendous speed and can change a game with one play. Just ask the Redskins.

Washington coordinator Jim Haslett will have the tougher job in defending both LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. McCoy is arguably the NFL's best back, but the emergence of Sproles as a (still) dynamic weapon has to be nightmarish for opposing coaches.

This game has all the makings of a shootout.

Despite his first-half struggles this season, Foles is still engineering the league's top-scoring offense. Meanwhile, the Washington offense with Alfred Morris, Jackson and Pierre Garcon is fifth in points and still hasn't thrown an interception this season.

The following matchups will likely play the greatest role in the game's final outcome.

CB Cary Williams vs. WR DeSean Jackson

Wide receivers with Jackson’s speed and game-breaking abilities don’t come around very often. Philadelphia Eagles fans know exactly what he’s capable of, and that was evidenced by a career-best 2013 campaign that included 82 receptions for 1,332 yards.

Per Pro Football Focus’ advanced statistics (subscription required), Jackson posted a 124.4 passer rating on throws his direction, which led all qualifying wide receivers. Jackson hasn’t quite been the same playmaker in Washington as he was in Philly, and in fact, there’s no guarantee that he suits up next week.

Jackson is battling a shoulder injury, although he says he plans to play. 

"

DeSean Jackson: I plan on playing vs. Eagles http://t.co/tLA9eFLSV4

— Rotoworld Football (@Rotoworld_FB) September 17, 2014"

Gruden may have a different opinion, so Jackson will probably be a game-time decision.

"

Gruden says he feels pretty good that desean Jackson will play. But says if not 100 percent he won't play

— John Keim (@john_keim) September 17, 2014"

Expect Cary Williams to cover Jackson for the majority of plays. Williams is banged up himself, though.

"

Cary Williams is on the #Eagles injury report with a hamstring injury. He was limited.

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 17, 2014"

Williams will play, barring a setback. But a hamstring injury isn’t good news, considering Jackson can already outrun nearly every cornerback in the game. Williams doesn’t typically shadow the best receiver across the field; then again, a case could be made that Garcon is the team’s best receiver.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Last year, Garcon was targeted 11 times in Week 1. Just three of those came against Williams (all were incompletions, meaning Williams held the season leader in receptions without a catch). Aside from Garcon, Williams covered Josh Morgan (one target) and Aldrick Robinson (one target).

In the Week 11 matchup, Garcon was again targeted 11 times. Four were against Williams (three completions). 

So Williams won’t exclusively cover Jackson, just as he didn’t stick with Garcon one-on-one. But Williams is probably the Eagles’ best outside corner, and his performance against Jackson will play a major factor in the game.

RBs LeSean McCoy/Darren Sproles vs. Washington Redskins' Front Seven

Last year, the Washington Redskins had no answer for the Philadelphia Eagles’ rushing attack.

In Week 1, McCoy rushed 31 times for 184 yards and a touchdown. In Week 11, he put up just 77 yards, but he scored two touchdowns and broke eight tackles; Foles added 47 rushing yards and a touchdown as well. That means Philadelphia as a team averaged nearly 200 rushing yards per game against the Redskins.

And this year, Darren Sproles has been added to the mix.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The Redskins have a pretty stingy rushing defense so far this year; they rate fourth in fewest yards allowed, and they haven’t permitted a touchdown yet.

But this will be by far their biggest test yet, and according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Gruden knows it.

Sproles played just 24 snaps last week, yet finished with 179 total all-purpose yards. The Eagles will assuredly employ a slew of two-back systems, which spells trouble for the Redskins. After all, this Washington team has faced the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars so far; those two teams combined to go 6-26 a year ago.

Stopping McCoy and Sproles is the only option for Washington to win this game.

RDE Fletcher Cox vs. LT Trent Williams

After two under-the-radar yet impressive seasons, Fletcher Cox is really starting to break out.

The former first-round pick has made a strong transition from a 4-3 defensive tackle to that of a 3-4 defensive end. He scored a touchdown off of a fumble return in the opening week, then forced a fumble last game.

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Per Pro Football Focus, Cox rates as the eighth-best 3-4 end among 52 qualifiers. He gets a ferocious matchup this Sunday against Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams, a player who is as nasty of a lineman as there is in this league.

Williams was PFF’s top-rated offensive tackle in 2013. He’s a dynamic run-blocker but still a highly functioning pass-blocker. Last year, Williams got the best of Cox in Week 1, but Cox beat Williams for a sack and two pressures in the next game.

Williams does have a tendency to commit a high number of penalties. Last year, he was called for six, and he’s already been flagged three times in 2014.

This should be a tough matchup in the trenches among two of the better linemen in the league.

LOLB Ryan Kerrigan vs. RT Andrew Gardner

The Philadelphia Eagles’ patchwork offensive line is down to its fourth right tackle; Lane Johnson is suspended while Allen Barbre and Matt Tobin are dealing with injuries. That thrusts first-year Eagle Andrew Gardner into the starting spot.

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Gardner was beaten badly in the first half of the Indianapolis Colts game, but he settled down and played substantially better as the game went on.

The problem this week is that Gardner gets Ryan Kerrigan and not Erik Walden; Kerrigan is a former first-round pick and a Pro Bowler, and he badly exposed Jacksonville Jaguars right tackle Cameron Bradfield last week.

"

What Ryan Kerrigan is doing to Cameron Bradfield in this game should not be aired before 10 PM on any broadcast medium.

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 15, 2014 "

After Kerrigan picked up four sacks against Bradfield, the Jaguars didn’t just bench Bradfield; they outright released him.

Gardner allowed a pair of quarterback hits to Walden, and the Eagles will likely keep Brent Celek as an in-line blocking tight end to help out Gardner.

As long as Gardner doesn’t turn in a disastrous performance a la Winston Justice against Clay Matthews in 2010, Kelly should be able to game-plan in a way in which this matchup doesn’t cost Philadelphia the contest.