Redskins vs. Eagles: Complete Week 3 Preview for Philadelphia
The stage is set for a matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, one that will likely feature the return of charismatic Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson to Lincoln Financial Field. Jackson provided Eagles fans with a slew of memories over his six years, but his act wore thin with head coach Chip Kelly, and Kelly’s surprise move to jettison Jackson was shocking, to say the least.
Should Jackson suit up for this Sunday’s matchup—a likelihood, even though he is dealing with a shoulder injury—Eagles fans know he still has the game-breaking speed and capability of taking the top off the defense on any given play.
Jackson will be catching passes from backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, but the Redskins’ offense didn’t miss a beat when Cousins took over mid-game last week; in fact, Washington rates as the fifth-highest scoring offense in the league this season.
The Eagles are the NFL’s most prolific scorers, despite struggles in the first half of both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts games.
Third-year quarterback Nick Foles has missed his share of open throws, but he started to hit his groove late in the Colts game. He’s backed by a dominating running game that should give Redskins’ head coach Jay Gruden fits.
This game has all the makings of a shootout, so whichever defense can make more stops will ultimately come away with a victory.
Regular-Season Week 2 Recap
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The Philadelphia Eagles did it again. They went down early and picked it up in the second half, doing so at a historic rate.
"The #Eagles are the 1st team in NFL History to rally from a double digit halftime deficit to win their first two games.
— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldFS1) September 16, 2014"
Nick Foles struggled to find his open receivers in the first and second quarter, but he was dynamic when it counted late in the game. Foles led a game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter and then followed it up by setting up Cody Parkey's walk-off field goal.
Darren Sproles stole the show, rushing for 26 yards and a touchdown, catching seven passes for a career-best 152 yards and even recording 25 yards on punt returns. That’s over 200 total yards for the all-purpose back who is quickly becoming one of the more valuable players of this franchise.
The Eagles’ defense pulled off a historic finish by intercepting Andrew Luck, courtesy of a well-timed play from veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins. Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw ran the ball effectively, but Richardson did fumble twice.
In all, it was a solid win for the Eagles on prime-time football, and it came against a 2013 playoff team.
News and Notes
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More than just the 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Washington Redskins this Sunday, it’s the return of DeSean Jackson to Philadelphia. Jackson was famously released this past offseason, and Chip Kelly will be judged heavily on how the Eagles’ offense fares without Jackson in 2014.
Is DeSean Jackson Even Going to Play?
DeSean Jackson’s health is the big story for this game. The Pro Bowl receiver is dealing with a shoulder injury, and he’s officially listed as questionable.
"Jordan Reed has been ruled out for Sunday. Desean Jackson is questionable
— John Keim (@john_keim) September 19, 2014"
Jackson is certainly a tough matchup for Philadelphia Eagles’ cornerbacks Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher. He can score at any time, and the Eagles will have to keep a safety deep to allow for Jackson’s speed.
Can Defensive Coordinator Billy Davis Create a Game Plan to Minimize the Likely Loss of Mychal Kendricks?
The Philadelphia Eagles will be greatly missing inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Through just two games, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rates Kendricks as the fifth-best overall inside linebacker in the NFL and No. 1 in rushing the opposing quarterback.
What Kendricks’ absence does is force reserve ‘backer Casey Matthews into action. Just how bad was Matthews a week ago?
Well, he managed to play just 14 snaps before he got himself benched. He made one tackle but whiffed badly on an open-field tackle attempt. The Washington Redskins will try to exploit Matthews all game, while Eagles coordinator Billy Davis will have to find ways to hide Matthews.
That may be frequent nickel packages or four-man fronts that don’t require Matthews on the field.
Injury Report
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The big injury news for Philadelphia is the status of inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Kendricks left last Monday night’s game early with a calf injury, and as a result, the defense was exposed. Reserve linebacker Casey Matthews continues to struggle, and there’s really no reason he’s still on the 53-man roster.
"#Eagles beat Redskins without Mychal Kendricks, who had a knee problem, last Nov. 17 at the Linc. But they had Najee Goode to plug in then.
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) September 18, 2014"
Here’s the updated injury report, courtesy of PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
| Position | Injury |
Mychal Kendricks | ILB | Calf (Out) |
Josh Huff | WR | Shoulder (Doubtful) |
Matt Tobin | OT | Ankle (Questionable) |
Earl Wolff | S | Knee (Questionable) |
Cary Williams | CB | Hamstring (Probable) |
Nolan Carroll | CB | Elbow (Probable) |
Fletcher Cox | DE | Back (Probable) |
Zach Ertz | TE | Knee (Probable) |
Todd Herremans | G | Hamstring (Probable) |
Malcolm Jenkins | S | Shoulder (Probable) |
Brad Smith | WR | Groin (Probable) |
Jaylen Watkins | CB | Hamstring (Probable) |
Kendricks is out and Josh Huff likely won’t play. Matt Tobin probably wouldn’t be available, either. But everyone else should be able to suit up.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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I previewed the four best matchups to watch in this week’s game. How DeSean Jackson fares against the Eagles’ cornerbacks will be the big story, but the trenches battle involving Fletcher Cox and Trent Williams could have just as great an impact on the game.
Here are a handful of other matchups to watch, along with a few Eagles who could be X-factors in the win.
ILB Casey Matthews vs. Washington Redskins’ Offense
The Washington Redskins are probably formulating a plan right now for how to expose Casey Matthews. After all, the Philadelphia Eagles did it last week against the Indianapolis Colts; Colts’ linebacker Jerrell Freeman was out so Chip Kelly attacked backup Josh McNary all game.
Per Pro Football Focus, McNary was credited with allowing nine completions (on nine targets) for 176 yards. LeSean McCoy caught two of those passes, Zach Ertz added one and Darren Sproles had six receptions.
Alfred Morris is a between-the-tackles runner. Roy Helu can catch passes out of the backfield. Jordan Reed will likely miss the contest due to injury, but backup Niles Paul has thrived—he’s second in the NFL in receiving yards (185) among tight ends.
TE Zach Ertz vs. S Brandon Meriweather/Ryan Clark
Zach Ertz is a mismatch nightmare, and he’s going to continue his dominance against the Washington Redskins.
In Game 1, Ertz caught three passes for 77 yards (all of them for over 25 yards). He followed that up with four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. His snap count increased from 61 percent to 75 percent, per PFF.
The Redskins rank seventh-worst in average yards allowed per passing attempt. Philadelphia is second in passing yards. Meanwhile, Brandon Meriweather is fresh off a two-game suspension and about to see his first action of 2014, while Ryan Clark rates by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) as the sixth-worst safety in the NFL.
Ertz could easily put up another 75-yard game with a touchdown grab.
X-Factor: Darren Sproles
OK, when a player vaults onto the national scene the way Darren Sproles did last week, he might not be just an X-factor. But considering he’s still just the backup running back who plays fewer than half the team’s offensive snaps, the label may work for the 31-year-old.
Sproles has three plays this season of 50 or more yards. He’s eighth in the NFL with 263 yards from scrimmage this season and third in all-purpose yards (350).
Sproles is averaging 6.5 yards per rush and 15.1 per reception. He’s even at 10.9 per punt return, the second-best mark of his 10-year career. He’s a weapon with the football every time he’s in the open field. His success won’t continue at quite this rate, but there’s no reason to think it will slow down against a Redskins team that couldn’t come close to stopping the Eagles’ rushing attack in 2013.
Prediction
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The Philadelphia Eagles have the NFL’s highest-scoring offense, and they’re playing a Washington Redskins team that went 3-13 a year ago.
Nick Foles has underwhelmed this season, but he’s still putting up good numbers. LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles are a dynamic running back duo. The Eagles’ offensive line is banged up but still a top 10 unit. It will come down to whether the Eagles’ defense can stop Kirk Cousins and the Redskins’ offense.
Prediction: Eagles 35, Redskins 23
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