Monday Night Football: Redskins Have Recent Success Against Eagles

With the way the Washington Redskins have performed this season, one would think the Philadelphia Eagles should have no trouble leaving FedEx Field with a victory on Monday Night Football.

After last week’s loss to the Oakland Raiders, the Eagles realize they need to take this Redskins team serious to avoid a second straight loss—especially with the success the 'Skins have against them the last two seasons.

Monday night’s matchup consists of two teams looking to avoid ending the week at the bottom of the NFC. With the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at the top of the standings with two losses each, both teams realize how important this win is if they want to contend in the NFC East.

On paper, the Eagles have every reason to believe they out-match the Redskins.

They have a better quarterback in Donovan McNabb . They have a better running back in Brian Westbrook. They even have a young wide receiving corps, thanks to the emergence of DeSean Jackson and tight end Brent Celek.

So why should the Eagles take extra caution against a Redskins team that’s failed to crack the 20-point mark so far this season?

Despite being the laughing stock of the NFL this season, mainly because of their losses to the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, the Redskins are still a very talented football team. The Eagles need to be extra cautious towards Monday night’s game simply because the Redskins have won three of the last four games over the last two seasons. Their most recent win came in Week 10 of the 2007 season with a 33-25 victory.

In the two games they played against each other last season, the Eagles appeared to be on the road to victory.

After the Eagles jumped out to an early 14-0 lead during the first matchup, the Redskins scored 23 straight points and shut down the Birds’ offense for the remainder of the game on their way to a 23-17 victory.

When the Eagles became one of the hottest teams at the end of the season in hopes of a playoff run, the Redskins put a hault to their three-game winning streak, defeating them 10-3 in Week 16. During their three game winning streak, prior to their game against the 'Skins, the Eagles had outscored their opponents 98-44. However, they still managed to struggle against a 'Skins team that lost five of their previous six games prior to their matchup against the Eagles.

If the Eagles can pull away with the victory tonight, it will put them in good shape in the NFC East before their showdown with the New York Giants next weekend.

If the Eagles lose against the Redskins, it may be time to hit the panic button in Philadelphia. A loss to the Redskins places them at the bottom of the NFC East, which could make a playoff run even more difficult.

Dan Parzych Is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com