Redskins vs Eagles: Full Philadelphia Game Preview
Everything is on the line this Saturday as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field.
Both the Eagles and Redskins are alive in the race to win the NFC East, despite a rather unconvincing season. Washington can clinch the division with a victory this weekend. The Redskins are in pole position as they sit at 7-7 following their 35-25 victory over the Buffalo Bills last weekend.
On the other side, Philadelphia enters its final game of a three-game home stint following its blowout 40-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week. The Eagles enter Week 16 with a 6-8 record, but they can still win the division with victories over the Redskins this Saturday and at MetLife Stadium against the Giants on the final weekend.
The Eagles fell short against Washington in Week 4 as Kirk Cousins rallied the team and led the Redskins on a game-winning drive to earn a 23-20 victory.
This is arguably the biggest game of Chip Kelly’s NFL career as the Eagles are amid the worst season under the control of the former Oregon coach. Philadelphia can still salvage the season and earn a home playoff game, but a loss could also create concerns about the coach’s future at the professional level.
Let’s take a look at some of the news and important matchups heading into the weekend’s prime-time clash at Lincoln Financial Field.
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Date: Saturday—December 26, 2015
Time: 8:25 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
Week 15 Results and Recap
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The Arizona Cardinals cruised to a rather easy 40-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in the Sunday night game in Week 15.
The Cardinals clinched the NFC West as they moved to 12-2 on the season.
Arizona continues to rely in part on its quarterback as the MVP candidate continued his impressive season with 274 yards a touchdown against Philadelphia. But the Cardinals also remain one of the most balanced teams as David Johnson put together the best game of his young career with 187 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The difference in talent levels between the two teams was evident from the start as Arizona marched down the field and scored a touchdown on the first drive of the game. The Cardinals moved the ball with ease as they evenly ran and threw the ball four times on the drive.
The Eagles tried to keep pace as Sam Bradford recognized confusion in Arizona’s secondary and found Zach Ertz for a 22-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. But Philadelphia’s defense displayed some poor tackling as Johnson broke off a 47-yard run for his second touchdown of the day.
Philadelphia only trailed by one touchdown heading into halftime, but Arizona started to pull away with a touchdown on the first drive of the second half. Michael Floyd pulled off a circus catch on the sideline to set up Johnson for his third touchdown run of the game.
The game, and the rest of the season, looked in danger for Arizona as Carson Palmer jammed his finger against Connor Barwin. The quarterback left the game briefly but did not miss much time. Upon his return, Palmer found John Brown for a 16-yard touchdown as the wide receiver danced around rookie cornerback Eric Rowe.
The game fell apart for Philadelphia, as its offense could not protect the ball. The Eagles cut promising drives short by turning the ball over on three consecutive drives. Deone Bucannon returned a Sam Bradford interception 39 yards as Arizona established a 37-10 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Jordan Matthews found himself wide open for a 78-yard touchdown. The score added meaningless points at the end of the game, but that did not keep wide receiver from showing off his Rocky celebration.
The Eagles remain one of the most unpredictable teams in the NFL as they suffered another lopsided defeat on the heels of a two-game winning streak. Philadelphia will need some form of consistency in the final two weeks of the season in order to win the NFC East.
News and Notes
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Three Philadelphia were selected to participate in the Pro Bowl this year as Fletcher Cox, Jason Peters and Darren Sproles received invites to the game in Hawaii, according to Philly.com's Les Bowen.
Fletcher Cox's selection comes as no surprise due to his performance this year. The defensive lineman leads the team with a career-high 7.5 sacks. The 25-year-old is likely the most important player on Philadelphia's defense, if not the entire team, as he disrupts plays in both the run and pass from the defensive end position in Billy Davis' 3-4 scheme. This is Cox's first career Pro Bowl selection.
Meanwhile, Jason Peters earned his eighth selection to the Pro Bowl, despite not living up to his usual expectations. The left tackle has dealt with injuries throughout the entire season, but the player's presence is felt when he is on the field. Philadelphia's left tackle anchors its offensive line, and Peters will be an important player for the Eagles through the final two weeks.
Philadelphia's final selection was its dynamic playmaker Darren Sproles. The return specialist already has two punt return touchdowns this season. The 32-year-old returned one punt 89 yards against the New York Jets and another 83 yards against the New England Patriots. Sproles is also a weapon for Philadelphia's offense due to his versatility, but the he earned his second Pro Bowl selection as a return specialist.
Although three players received Pro Bowl honors, there are other players many believe are deserving of a selection. In particular, Malcolm Jenkins is one of the most influential players on Philadelphia's defense in both his play and leadership. The safety leads the team in tackles, but his veteran experience help stabilize Philadelphia's secondary.
Although Jenkins did not make it on the initial selection, players still have a chance to make the roster as players drop out due to injury or to prepare for the Super Bowl. Jason Kelce, Chris Maragos and Jenkins all have the opportunity to make it as alternates, reported Bowen.
Latest Injury News
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Philadelphia entered the game against the Cardinals with every player available to play on Sunday night, but the Eagles suffered a few key injuries throughout the game.
The Eagles lost their two starting cornerbacks to injury as Eric Rowe left with a concussion and Byron Maxwell suffered a shoulder injury. This left Philadelphia's already thin secondary at a major disadvantage against Arizona's talented wide receivers. As the team prepares for Week 16, Rowe returned as a full participant to practice, according to the team's official injury report.
However, Maxwell's shoulder still seems to be a problem, as the corner did not participate in Wednesday's practice. The offseason signing injured his shoulder in the first half and could not complete the game. Maxwell came back for one play but then immediately left the field as he clutched his shoulder.
Another concern for Philadelphia is the health of Bennie Logan. The defensive tackle has been battling through an ankle injury the last few weeks, but he left the game Arizona game on the last drive due to injury. Although he has been on the field, Logan is not fully fit, and he is only a fraction of the disruptive force he was at the beginning of the season. The defensive tackle finds himself back on this week's injury report, and he did not participate in Wednesday's practice due to a calf injury.
Sam Bradford took a big shot to his left shoulder against the Cardinals, and he finds himself back on the injury report. The quarterback only missed one play against Arizona before returning and trying to dig his team out of its big deficit. Bradford continues to impress as he hangs tough in the pocket and delivers accurate passes with pressure in his face.
Not a single team is fully healthy by this point in the season, but injuries to key players can derail any team. The Eagles need their two starting corners to return to the field, as they take on talented more talented wide receivers in DeSean Jackson and Odell Beckham Jr. in the final two weeks.
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Key Matchup
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Redskins Running Game vs. Philadelphia Defense
Philadelphia's rush defense quickly went from the strength of Billy Davis' defense to its Achilles' heel. Inconsistency also plagues this unit as one week it can shut down the talented LeSean McCoy, but then the next week it surrenders three touchdowns to a rookie running back.
Last week, it seemed like the defense focused so much on not giving up the big play through the air that it failed to stop anything else. David Johnson consistently found running room as he averaged 6.7 yards per carry on his 28 attempts.
A large part of Philadelphia's struggles against the run comes down to the declining play of Bennie Logan. The big run-stopping defensive tackles has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury through the last few weeks, and now his availability is in question for this weekend due to a calf problem. However, he is not the only problem as inside linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Kiko Alonso have failed to make any positive impact on games the entire second half of the season.
On the other side, Washington takes advantage of poor rushing defenses, as it stays committed to its ground game. The Redskins ran for over 100 yards in each of the last four weeks, and they face a favorable matchup against Philadelphia this weekend.
Philadelphia enters Week 16 with the third-worst rushing defense in the NFL as it gives up 134.1 yards per game on the ground. When these two teams played each other in Week 4, Alfred Morris and Chris Thompson combined for 115 yards on 23 carries. While the Eagles show the tendency to abandon the run after initial struggles, the Redskins try to stick to a balanced attack as they ran the ball a total of 32 times in the first matchup.
The Eagles need the middle of their defense to step up and the entire team to improve its tackling if they hope to slow down Washington's running backs. A consistent ground attack will only make life easier for Kirk Cousins against Philadelphia's depleted secondary.
Matchup X-Factor
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Sam Bradford's future with the Eagles is a major debate around Philadelphia, but the quarterback's play since returning from injury has been one of the bright spots on an otherwise struggling offense.
The quarterback struggled to start the season, as he looked uncomfortable with himself and with Chip Kelly's offense. Bradford looked scared to get hit after returning from ACL injuries, and he looked like a deer in the headlights as the offense sped around him.
But one of Bradford's best games of the early season came against Washington as he threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns. In that game, Kelly too more deep shots than usual, and it paid off with a 62-yard touchdown to Riley Cooper and a 39-yard touchdown to Miles Austin.
Since returning from his concussion, Bradford looks like an entirely new quarterback despite dealing with a sore left shoulder. The 28-year-old stands tall in the pocket and is willing to take contact. Last week, Bradford stepped into a throw and delivered a strike on third down to extend the drive. The quarterback left the game for only one play, and then he returned to play the rest of the game.
Part of Bradford's success comes down to his accuracy, which allows him to get the balls into the hands of the team's playmakers. Kelly's offense is centered on the idea of getting skill-position players in space, which Bradford is now beginning to do.
The quarterback is also establishing chemistry with a few of his favorite targets like Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz. Bradford found the second-year wide receiver eight times as he racked up 159 yards and a touchdown. Bradford also targeted Ertz more than other players, and the tight end contributed eight catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Bradford's comfort level is rising not only in Kelly's uptempo style offense but also with the players around him. The quarterback needs to continue to improve and carry the load, as the running game continues to struggle.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Redskins 24
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The winner of the NFC East could be determined this Saturday night if Washington can come away with a victory at Lincoln Financial Field. Meanwhile, Philadelphia still controls its own destiny, as it will earn a playoff spot if it wins its final two games of the regular season.
This weekend is likely the biggest game of both Chip Kelly and Jay Gruden's career as an NFL head coach. Very few picked the Redskins to come out of the NFC East this season, but the state of the division was far from predictable.
Part of Washington's success this season comes down to the improved play of quarterback Kirk Cousins. He now has 13 touchdowns through the air and only three interceptions in his past seven games. However, the quarterback still shows signs of struggle on the road, as he now thrown an interception in all 12 away games in his career.
Winning a road game with the division title on the line would go a long way in solidifying Cousins' future as Washington's starting quarterback.
For Philadelphia, this season has been the worst season during Kelly's tenure. The team looks to have taken step back following last season's 10-win campaign, but a playoff spot would change the entire outlook of the year.
In order to beat Washington, Philadelphia needs its offense, in particular its running game, to improve. The Eagles scored more than 20 points in only two of their last six games. However, this could be the weekend for DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and company to get back on track. The Redskins rank 28th in the league for run defense, allowing 129.8 rushing yards per game.
Philadelphia's tailbacks will not put together a breakout performance, but they will eclipse the 100-yard mark. The viable threat of a ground game will also open up space for Philadelphia's playmakers in the passing game.
Bradford will utilize the play-action passing game that created the downfield opportunities for him in Week 4. Then Washington will need to try to tackle the quarterback's favorite targets, Zach Ertz and Jordan Matthews, in space.
Instead of Cousins being the hero like in Week 4, Philadelphia will rely on Bradford in the fourth quarter to lead the offense on a game-winning drive at the end of the game. The Eagles will edge out the close victory to give them a shot at winning the NFC against the Giants at MetLife Stadium in Week 17.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Redskins 24
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