Eagles vs. Redskins: Complete Week 16 Preview for Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Eagles look to salvage their season with a win this weekend over the Washington Redskins. It’s the first regular-season Saturday contest for Philly since a 2011 matchup against Dallas, and the Eagles will need to win their final two games and get help to even make this year’s playoffs.
Last Sunday night’s backbreaking 38-27 loss to the division-rival Cowboys was a dagger to the Eagles; Philadelphia had an opportunity to all but clinch the NFC East title and fell short, even after rallying from what was at one point a 21-0 deficit.
Now, the Eagles need to beat both the Redskins and New York Giants and have the Cowboys lose to either the Indianapolis Colts or Redskins for Philly to still win the NFC East title.
It’s a short week for the Eagles, with this being a Saturday game, and it’s a battle between two quarterbacks formerly taken in the top five in the NFL draft. Mark Sanchez is starting for the injured Nick Foles, while the once-benched Robert Griffin III is back in the lineup, given Colt McCoy’s neck injury that landed him on season-ending injured reserve.
What should fans expect from Chip Kelly’s team this week? Can Philadelphia bounce back from a devastating loss and get back on track, or is it too late to expect anything from the Eagles? Here’s a preview of all you need to know leading up to this game, which airs at 4:30 pm ET.
Eagles' Week 15 Recap
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Last Sunday night’s loss was arguably the Philadelphia Eagles’ worst regular-season loss since the season-ending 24-0 shutout to the Dallas Cowboys in 2009—one that will go down as Donovan McNabb’s last contest with the organization.
The Eagles were lost from the very start, botching the game’s opening kickoff and going down 21-0 just 18 minutes into the game. Amazingly, Philadelphia rallied back to actually take a 24-21 edge before Dallas put together a seven-play, 78-yard touchdown drive to take a lead it would not relinquish.
Perhaps the most inexplicable aspect of the game was Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis’ decision to leave much-maligned cornerback Bradley Fletcher in single coverage on All-Pro receiver Dez Bryant. The result was six catches for 114 yards and three touchdowns from Bryant, proving to be the difference in what otherwise was a close game.
News and Notes
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Eagles and Brandon Graham Working on New Contract
The Philadelphia Eagles will have several decisions to make this offseason regarding the outside linebacker position. Connor Barwin is due to make $6.1 million, and he’s a lock to come back given the tremendous season he’s put forth.
The big question will be whether the team brings back Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, both or neither. To be fair, it’s highly unlikely the Eagles would go into 2015 without both players, as that would thrust this year’s first-rounder Marcus Smith into a starting role, and he certainly doesn’t seem like he’s ready to contribute.
As Philly.com’s Jimmy Kempski points out, it’s unlikely Cole comes back with his ridiculous 2015 cap hit.
"Eagles almost have to keep Graham. Can't trust Marcus Smith + no way Trent Cole comes back at his cap number in '15: pic.twitter.com/AcGzdnfB93
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) December 17, 2014"
Cole is slated to earn $11.6 million in 2015, and while he’s still a terrific player—Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rates Cole as the 12th-best 3-4 outside linebacker among 46 qualifiers—that’s a lot of money to pay for one player, especially a 32-year-old on the defensive side of the ball.
Cole is also probably out for the season with a recent hand injury, so he may have played his last game here.
"Coach Kelly: Trent Cole having surgery on his hand today and will be out for Saturday's game at Washington.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 17, 2014
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So it’s likely that Graham gets a new deal, and the Eagles are reportedly already working on this, per CSNPhilly’s Geoff Mosher.
Graham will assuredly test the free agent market too, as his skills suggest he will command a big payday. But he’s a true team player, and the Eagles would be wise to try to lock him up if at all possible.
"Brandon Graham is kind of guy u want to invest in. His car has been 1 of the first in NovaCare each morning for yrs. Hard worker. #eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) December 17, 2014
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Will We See Nick Foles at All in 2015?
Given Mark Sanchez’s struggles against both Seattle and Dallas the last two weeks, Philadelphia Eagles fans have to be clamoring for Nick Foles to return.
But Foles still hasn’t been cleared to play, and it’s doubtful we’ll see him at all in the regular season.
"Every #Eagles player was a full participant today except for Trent Cole (hand) and Nick Foles (collarbone). Both are OUT for Sat's game.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 18, 2014
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He is practicing, though, so there’s a chance he could return for the playoffs if the Eagles make it.
"Nick Foles appears to be back practicing. #Eaglespic.twitter.com/fOjTDBMFne
— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardo975) December 17, 2014
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Then again, should Philadelphia make the playoffs, it’ll have to win its final two games. And that means it’ll have gotten there via Sanchez, which means he’s probably going to keep his job.
Are the Eagles Playing Against Their Quarterback of the Future?
The rise and fall of Robert Griffin III has been fascinating to watch, and it seems inevitable that he won’t return to Washington D.C. next season.
After all, RGIII wouldn’t even be starting this game if Colt McCoy wasn’t on injured reserve. Griffin has just one year left on his contract, so there’s a chance a team like the Philadelphia Eagles could send a low- to mid-round draft pick to the Redskins for Griffin’s services.
Chip Kelly is an offensive genius, and he’s gotten the best out of every quarterback he’s ever coached. Getting Griffin and allowing him to compete with Nick Foles for the 2015 starting job may be an intriguing possibility.
Injury Report
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Add Trent Cole to this week’s injury report, as the 10th-year linebacker broke his hand and will miss this Saturday’s game.
Other than that, it’s just Nick Foles who will be out.
Here’s the full injury report, courtesy of Brandon Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation.
| Position | Injury |
Nick Foles | QB | Collarbone (Out) |
Brandon Bair | DE | Elbow (Probable) |
Brent Celek | TE | Neck (Probable) |
Bennie Logan | NT | Pectoral (Probable) |
Chris Polk | RB | Ankle (Probable) |
Emmanuel Acho | ILB | Groin (Probable) |
Beau Allen | NT | Shoulder (Probable) |
Chris Maragos | S | Hamstring (Probable) |
Jordan Matthews | WR | Knee (Probable) |
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Key Matchups/X-Factors to Watch
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CB Bradley Fletcher vs. WR DeSean Jackson
This should be a fun matchup for Philadelphia Eagles fans to watch. A week after Bradley Fletcher was roasted by Dez Bryant, now he gets the challenge of trying to stick with one of the fastest playmakers in the league in DeSean Jackson.
Per Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Fletcher will likely match up with Jackson for the majority of this contest. Last time, Jackson burned the Eagles for a game-tying 81-yard score late in the third quarter.
Fletcher leads the NFL in touchdowns allowed (nine), per PFF. He’s been victimized five times in the last five weeks. And in the Week 3 Eagles-Redskins matchup, Fletcher was beat for two touchdowns, one by Pierre Garcon and one by fullback Darrel Young.
If defensive coordinator Billy Davis doesn’t put some safety help on Jackson, it won’t end well for the Eagles.
ROLB Brandon Graham vs. LT Trent Williams
Making his first start in two seasons, free-agent-to-be linebacker Brandon Graham gets to go up against All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, one of the game’s finest offensive linemen.
Williams was magnificent against the Philadelphia Eagles back in Week 3, earning his second-best PFF rating (plus-4.7) of the season. Graham played 28 snaps in that game, finishing with four tackles and one quarterback pressure.
For the season, though, Graham has certainly made the most of his limited opportunities. He’s ranked first in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity stat by a wide margin, having picked up a quarterback disruption on 18.6 percent of his snaps this season (second is Justin Houston at just 15.7).
Graham may be a backup thrust into a starting role, but he’s thrived when he has played this season, and Saturday will be a perfect time for him to prove he can compete against elite offensive tackles.
WR Jeremy Maclin vs. CB Bashaud Breeland
Given that Washington rookie cornerback Bashaud Breeland plays the left side on 86 percent of snaps, per PFF, he’s going to get the task of covering Philadelphia Eagles standout wide receiver, Jeremy Maclin.
Maclin is putting together a Pro Bowl season; he’s already at 78 receptions, 1,207 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he’s done all this with instability at the quarterback position. Maclin has also dropped just one pass; by comparison, the other six receivers with at least 125 targets have averaged seven apiece.
Breeland rates 100th among 110 PFF cornerbacks in overall rating, and he’s been lit up to the tune of four touchdowns and a 100.5 passer rating this season.
This is a matchup the Eagles should win with ease.
X-Factor: Chris Polk
If you didn’t notice last week, Chris Polk is the Philadelphia Eagles’ new goal-line back. He received two carries and scored on both of them, becoming the first player since Brandon Jacobs in 2006 to carry the ball multiple times and score on every carry.
LeSean McCoy saw his snap count dwindle to just 35, his lowest total (other than the previous week) since his rookie season. Is that a sign of things to come or just the way the game flowed?
Given McCoy’s $11.95 million salary for 2015, it’s easy to think he may not be back next season, and if that’s the case, the Eagles may try to get Polk more carries to see how he can handle regular action.
Prediction
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There’s no way the Philadelphia Eagles can possibly lose this game, especially after the colossal letdown the team turned in against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The Eagles are a vastly superior team. They have a plethora of weapons, too much for the Washington Redskins' 27th-rated defense to handle. Quarterback Robert Griffin III has lost every start he’s made this season, and he’s taking sacks at a historically awful rate.
Philadelphia should score early, take a big halftime lead and keep that lead.
Prediction: Eagles 34, Redskins 16.
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