Eagles vs. Redskins: Complete Week 16 Preview for Washington
They've lost on Monday, Thursday and Sunday already. Tasked with playing the Philadelphia Eagles on a Saturday afternoon in Week 16, the Washington Redskins very well could add a fourth day to the mix.
Coming off a 24-13 loss to the New York Giants, the Redskins are in danger of matching last season's 3-13 record.
As for the Eagles, in addition to a Dallas Cowboys loss, this week's contest is one of two games the team needs to win to reclaim the NFC East crown.
With that said, what will improve after this matchup? The Skins' draft prospects or Philly's playoff hopes?
Let's find out. Here is the Week 16 preview for Washington.
Week 15 Recap
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With their 24-13 loss to the Giants, the Redskins closed their road schedule with a 1-7 record. Furthermore, it was the team's sixth consecutive loss.
While Washington had 372 total yards to New York's 287, it was ultimately undone by a touchdown-turned-turnover at the end of the first half.
Leading 10-7 with under 10 seconds to play in the first half, Robert Griffin III went in for what was thought to be a rushing touchdown. Upon review, though, it was ruled that Griffin fumbled prior to crossing the goal line. Subsequently, the half ended.
In the half that followed, the Redskins offense was dormant, while Odell Beckham Jr. wreaked havoc in the team's secondary. The rookie receiver scored two of his three touchdowns in the second half. For the game, he had 12 receptions for 143 yards.
Already unable to pressure Eli Manning, Washington hurt itself further with 10 penalties for 135 yards.
Filling in for an injured Colt McCoy, Griffin completed 18 of 27 passes for 236 yards, but he was sacked seven times. A relief effort in which he showed flashes of the player he once was, Griffin will need to build on this performance if he's to make a solid case to return as the starter in 2015.
News and Notes
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Play on Words
If there's one thing we've learned about rookie head coach Jay Gruden this season, it's that, if you put a microphone in front of him, you're going to get a candid response.
Relayed through ESPN's John Keim, Gruden insinuated that regardless of his exact comments, what he says will always be misconstrued when it comes to RG3:
"No matter what I say about Robert, it's going to get twisted one way or the other. If I say he is doing great, it's going to be I am too easy on him. If I say he needs to work harder, it means I said he's lazy. If I said he needs to work on his fundamentals, it means I don't like him.
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While Gruden does make a valid point, in light of what occurred between Griffin and Mike Shanahan last season, he has to know going forward that his straightforward responses regarding Griffin will only add to the narrative that the two have a strained relationship.
Griffin's Last Audition?
On Griffin earlier this season, Gruden was quoted saying "he's auditioned long enough." Well, apparently not. With McCoy being placed on injured reserve, Griffin has been provided a second chance to prove that he indeed is the team's franchise quarterback.
Question is, though, with Griffin carrying a 4-14 record the past two seasons, is an impressive two-game stretch to close the season really going to change the franchise's perception of him?
While Griffin is still under contract for 2015, his future with the team after that season is up in the air. As Mike Florio of NBC Sports notes, the Redskins have until May 6, 2015 to activate Griffin's fifth-year option, one potentially worth $18.4 million.
With nothing Griffin's done since his rookie season substantial enough to warrant such a hefty salary, his play the final two games of the 2014 campaign, one way or another, will determine his fate in Washington.
Is It Defense First?
It's been a long time coming, but lo and behold, the Redskins have a first-round pick! While the offensive line sticks out as a glaring weakness, the 2015 NFL draft could call for Washington to go with defense first.
In ESPN's Todd McShay's first 2015 NFL mock draft (subscription required), six of the first 10 players taken reside on the defensive side of the ball. Slotted with the fifth pick in the draft, McShay has the Skins taking Missouri pass-rusher Shane Ray.
While a pass-rusher isn't the team's most glaring need, McShay's consensus top six players play either quarterback, receiver or along the front seven. So while the stock of a particular player could fluctuate between now and the draft, outside of picking a quarterback, the top of the draft is setting up Washington to go with defense first.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Chris Baker | DL | Probable |
| Gabe Miller | LB | Questionable |
| Will Compton | LB | Probable |
| Jordan Reed | TE | Questionable |
| Jason Hatcher | DT | Questionable |
| Roy Helu | RB | Probable |
| Kory Lichtensteiger | C | Probable |
| Trent Williams | OT | Questionable |
| Brandon Meriweather | S | Questionable |
| Keenan Robinson | LB | Questionable |
As you can expect this late in the season, the Redskins' injury report is chock full of valuable players. The lone competent players along the offensive line most weeks, Kory Lichtensteiger and Trent Williams are players who stand out on this week's injury report.
A unit that's already surrendered an NFC-high 53 sacks, the Washington offensive line can't afford to be down either player. This is especially true going against a Philadelphia pass rush that is second in the NFL in sacks, with 47.
With RG3 still growing into a pocket passer, the absence of either Williams or Lichtensteiger would significantly hamper the team's passing attack.
All injury statuses from NFL.com.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Washington Front Seven vs. LeSean McCoy
Not that it mattered, because Philly did still score 37 points, but LeSean McCoy was held in check by Washington in Week 3. On 19 carries, he gained a meager 22 yards.
But that was with Nick Foles at quarterback. With him throwing for 325 yards and three touchdowns, it's understandable why the Eagles were still able to excel on offense.
It's not happening with Mark Sanchez under center, though. In the four contests that McCoy's averaged under 4.0 yards per carry, Sanchez is completing roughly 56 percent of his passes. Nearly a 62 percent passer on the season, he also has five of his nine interceptions in these outings.
With Sanchez proving that, without a solid running game, he is indeed the same mistake-laden quarterback that he was with the New York Jets, it'll be crucial for the Redskins to limit McCoy's production once again.
CB Bashaud Breeland vs. WR Jeremy Maclin
There's Dez Bryant, then there's Odell Beckham Jr. Two of the NFL's best receivers in 2014, Bashaud Breeland has matched up with both and had differing levels of success. Bryant was held to 30 yards back in Week 8 with Breeland the primary cover man.
Against Beckham, though, not only was he responsible for 70 yards in penalties, but Breeland had a bird's-eye view of the 12 receptions, 143 yards and three touchdowns that Beckham recorded in Week 15.
Going up against Jeremy Maclin, the NFC's fourth-leading receiver, the Redskins have to hope the Week 8 version of Breeland shows up. In the first matchup between these teams, Maclin had eight receptions, 154 yards and a touchdown.
Although Maclin's production has wavered with Sanchez at quarterback, Breeland can't allow him to break free for any big plays.
X-Factor of the Week: RB Alfred Morris
Exposed by the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks the past two weeks, the Eagles defense was done in by fatigue. Already a side effect of Philly's uptempo offense, the time of possession was skewed even more in the favor of its opponents because of their ability to run the football.
Behind 46 carries, the Seahawks were able to possess the ball for over 41 minutes. As for the Cowboys, their 42 carries netted the same result.
Enter Alfred Morris. On the cusp of his third consecutive season with 1,000 yards rushing, Morris really hasn't had a banner year. He has just one 100-yard outing on the year, with five contests in which he's failed to surpass 3.5 yards per carry.
As middling as his production has been, though, it's all about his attempts this week. As both Seattle and Dallas demonstrated, the Philadelphia defense will wear down if faced with the run for four quarters.
Similar to the first matchup in which he had 23 carries, if the Redskins can commit to Morris and the running game, they'll have a much better chance at pulling the upset.
Prediction
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Losers in their past two games, it goes without saying that this is a must-win game for the Eagles. Because of the shaky play of Sanchez in recent weeks, this divisional matchup isn't the gimme it once appeared to be for Philadelphia.
While the Redskins as a team have nothing to gain with a win, there are a litany of players with something at stake here. From DeSean Jackson exacting revenge on the team that cut him last season, to Griffin proving that he is starting material, Washington shouldn't be short on motivation here.
Even with that said, outside of being completely overlooked, the Skins don't have the horses to pull the upset. Whether you point to the team's injury-ravaged defense, or its porous offensive line, Washington's vulnerabilities are too much to overcome.
In a script you're all too familiar with by now, look for the Redskins to hang tough early before fading late behind poor execution and turnovers.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Redskins 16
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