Previewing Philadelphia Eagles' Week 1 Matchup with Washington Redskins
Not all season-opening games are created equal, and the Philadelphia Eagles' 2017 debut carries a little extra weight as they visit the Washington Redskins in Week 1.
Not only do the Eagles open up the season full of high hopes against a bitter divisional rival, it's also against the team they've had the most trouble with in the last few years. Philly hasn't been able to beat Washington since 2014, bringing a five-game losing streak against the Redskins into FedEx Field on Sunday.
This is expected to be something of a transcendent year for Carson Wentz and crew, and that can happen regardless of the Week 1 result. But there would be no better start than a road win against a division foe that has had the Eagles' number in recent years.
Let's look into all the specifics of this opening weekend clash, diving into the injury report, top storylines and fantasy implications before making a prediction.
Injury Report
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Eagles
No injuries to report
Redskins (per the official Washington site)
OLB Ryan Anderson: Limited practice Wednesday
C Spencer Long: Limited practice Wednesday
Even moving into Week 1, it's rare to see two teams heading into a regular-season affair relatively unscathed. But we should see two teams at even strength come Sunday.
The Eagles have dealt with some nagging injuries throughout preseason, most notably to linebacker Jordan Hicks, cornerback Jalen Mills and backup quarterback Nick Foles. All of whom were full participants in Wednesday's practice, per the team site.
As for the Redskins, oft-injured tight end Jordan Reed made his way back this preseason for one outing, getting targeted on four passes. He isn't even listed on the Redskins injury report, which is a promising sign for Washington and its playmaker.
While Washington's injury report doesn't feature any worrying signs, they've taken some hits heading into the season. Starting defensive end Trent Murphy and nose tackle Phil Taylor are both out for the season, while linebacker Su'a Cravens is on the exempt list and out Sunday after contemplating retirement, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and John Keim.
Latest News
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Su'a Cravens Update
A standout rookie for the Redskins last year, linebacker Cravens made headlines across the league when Mike Jones of the Washington Post reported his plans to retire after just one season. But the latest news might come as a relief to Redskins fans.
According to Schefter and Keim, a meeting with team officials "has changed his mind for now," although the 22-year-old is still going to be out for Sunday's game.
For any Eagles fans with a grasp on reality, it's a win-win. They no longer have to go up against one of the best playmaking defenders on the opposing team for Week 1. At the same time, seeing such a talented player walk away from the game abruptly is never something to celebrate, even if he plays for a bitter rival.
Football is just a game in the grand scheme of things, and it's refreshing to see a young and talented player appearing to look past the here and now to think about his future. Here's hoping that whatever decision Cravens ultimately makes is the one he feels is best for himself and his family.
Lane Johnson: Trash-Talking Extraordinaire
When a proud team like the Eagles loses five straight to a rival, one can bet they'll be intent on not letting it happen a sixth time. So it isn't surprising to hear one of Philadelphia's most outspoken players talking a little extra heading into this one.
Writing for The Players' Tribune, Lane Johnson publicly expressed that "this team is going to go down to D.C. and whup some ass against the Redskins. We're going to surprise some people."
Some fans have differing opinions on players making guarantees ahead of games, but it's hard to have a problem with Johnson's comments. Him and his Eagles teammates have been eyeing this game for months. Many of them have been around for the five-straight losses. The motivation factor going into Week 1 is as high for this game as one could imagine.
It's not like Johnson is going to be admonished by Eagles fans if the team doesn't come through with a victory on Sunday. You have to respect the fight he is displaying.
Whether or not it breeds victory in Week 1 doesn't really matter, because it sets the stage for a team that will likely play angry all season.
Matchups to Watch
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Washington WR's vs. Philadelphia Secondary
The Redskins may have lost Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson in free agency, but that doesn't mean quarterback Kirk Cousins is short on vertical weapons to attack this questionable Eagles cornerback unit.
Washington brought in one of the prized free-agent wideouts in Terrelle Pryor, who presents a tough matchup for starting corner Ronald Darby in his Eagles debut. The former quarterback is coming off a 1,000-yard season and will be intent on showing Redskins fans he's worthy of his sizable contract.
Across the middle, quick receiver Jamison Crowder could present some issues for the Eagles along with second-year wideout Josh Doctson. Philly cornerback Jalen Mills will have to step up and show he's worthy of being a starter throughout the season.
Alshon Jeffery vs. Josh Norman
While it's a dream matchup for analysts, the showdown between Eagles wideout Alshon Jeffery and Redskins corner Josh Norman features a unique contrast in regard to what each player does in between the whistle.
Norman is as well-known for his boisterous play and trash-talking as anyone in the league, while Jeffery is the quiet type who just likes to go about his business.
As such, this is all Jeffery had to say about the matchup, per CSN Philly's Dave Zangaro: "I just go out and just play football. I let my game do the talking. All that other stuff will take care of itself."
Jeffery gets a stiff opening test in his first game as an Eagle, but he's had success against Norman before. When he lined up against him last year as a Bear, Jeffery caught five passes for 92 yards.
Eagles' D-Line vs. Redskins' Pass Protection
The Redskins do have a decent ground game behind Rob Kelley and Chris Thompson, but it's all set up to complement their bread and butter with Cousins and the pass attack. And this is exactly the type of offense the Eagles made it a point to improve against over the offseason.
In adding rookie Derek Barnett and veteran Chris Long, the Eagles bolstered a pass rush that was lacking throughout 2016. Along with Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry, Philly now has the power to attack the edge outside of Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan.
If the Redskins can keep a clean pocket around Cousins and use the ground game to keep the defensive line on the heels, the quarterback shouldn't have many problems picking apart the Eagles secondary.
Getting consistent pressure on the pocket, however, will keep Cousins uncomfortable and could sway the game in Philly's favor.
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X-Factors
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LeGarrette Blount and the Crowded Philly Backfield
New Philadelphia running back LeGarrette Blount has endured a lot of criticism throughout a disappointing preseason. The fact that the Eagles have five backs on their 53-man roster might say a lot about their faith in him after a 299-carry season with the Patriots.
Featuring five running backs would take an expected by-committee approach to the next level, but running backs coach Duce Staley has indicated Blount is still the top guy. He told Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Daily News that he wants to "get the big boy rolling" and "sprinkle everyone else around him."
Eagles fans are still wondering whether Wendell Smallwood will emerge as the No. 1 back and if Corey Clement's inclusion in the roster means he'll play a significant role, but Staley's comments seem to show they'll all have to follow Blount's lead from the get-go.
It's important not to look too heavily into preseason results, and Blount may push some overreacting fans to apologize if he gets rolling and helps to take the pressure off of Wentz.
Redskins Tight Ends
When Washington tight end Jordan Reed has been healthy, he's been a nuisance for opposing defenses due to his supreme athleticism that causes a mismatch nightmare for linebackers. What makes his presence even scarier is the fact one of the most established tight ends in the NFL plays opposite him.
Vernon Davis may be 33 years old, but he caught 44 passes for 583 yards in his first season with the Redskins and forces defenses to pay attention to him, even if he plays opposite one of the league's best tight ends.
2017 fifth-round pick Jeremy Sprinkle may not be a threat in the passing game, but he'll likely feature with pass-blocking duties to nullify the impact of the Eagles defensive ends.
Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham form a strong duo of linebackers for Philly, but there are plenty of questions as to the coverage abilities of Mychal Kendricks. Expect Washington to try to isolate him with either Davis or Reed.
Fantasy Spotlight
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The brunt of the attention in the Eagles' passing attack centers around Wentz, and his new favorite target in Jeffery. But that's inevitably going to pave the way for another new acquisition, and one who may be all too forgotten in fantasy circles.
The addition of Torrey Smith may go down as one of the more underrated free-agency signings of the offseason. Philly needed to bolster its receiving unit in a big way and added one of the most dependable deep-threat weapons in the league to go alongside the new premier No. 1 target.
Fantasy football owners can expect Norman will be intent on shadowing Jeffery for a majority of the game, and few corners have proved as adept at silencing a team's go-to guy. He can't cover two guys at once, though.
That likely means Smith will draw the assignment of cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who is an above-average corner but could struggle with his opponent's ability to go vertical and get behind the defense.
It's hard to know how many targets Smith will get in a receiving corps full of weapons, but all it will take is one or two deep connections to make the 28-year-old a big fantasy player in Week 1.
Another player who could benefit from the extra attention on Jeffery is rookie Mack Hollins, who had a fantastic preseason and is emerging as a wideout who will see plenty of the field early on in his NFL career.
Prediction
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Redskins 28, Eagles 27
The Philadelphia Eagles are a team on the rise, but it's not all going to come together from the start. The cornerback position still needs to take shape, while it can be expected that Wentz will need some time to develop a rapport with his new weaponry.
A revamped Eagles pass rush will be able to make life difficult for Cousins, but his run game should be able to keep them honest. Philly's linebackers will have their hands full dealing with Reed and Davis, opening up running lanes at the second level for the Redskins' rushing attack.
The balance of its offense will allow Washington to finish off its drives, while the Eagles can expect to struggle in the red zone as they did throughout the 2016 season. Until Wentz has his chemistry down with Jeffery and until we see a clear identity in the run game, it's easy to see some stalled drives inside the 20.
That will inevitably be the difference in a tight divisional clash to start the season, as the Eagles drop their sixth-straight game against Washington but head into Week 2 with plenty of areas to improve.
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