Washington Redskins: 7 Keys to This Weekend's Game against the Eagles

For the first time all season, last Sunday was a relaxing one. And without even taking the field, the Washington Redskins were victorious. Kind of.

After handling their business in St. Louis in Week 4, the Redskins took the week off to rest, heal and prepare for Philadelphia this Sunday. Or at least we hope.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants participated in a meltdown at the Meadowlands which ultimately resulted in a loss to the traveling Seattle Seahawks,and the Philadelphia Eagles appeared to enjoy giving the ball to the Buffalo defense more than putting it in the end zone.

So while the Redskins were away from live action, I was able to sit comfortably on the couch and watch division opponents eat it on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It's too bad Dallas was also taking the week off, otherwise we could have really gone to the bank.

On paper, the matchup this Sunday at FedEx Field between the Eagles and Redskins appears slightly one-sided. The Eagles are a struggling 1-4 with their almighty quarterback throwing interceptions left and right and being tossed around like a rag doll.

The Redskins, on the other hand, are a surprising 3-1 and coming off a week's worth of preparation. The defense ranks amongst the league's best and quarterback Rex Grossman has somehow managed to limit his turnovers to under 400.

In one of the most important games of the Redskins' season this weekend, Washington will need to focus on some key points. Although the Eagles have lost four straight, they're in prime position for revenge and possess the shock factor. 

Run the Football

You think the run-defense is bad in St. Louis and Indianapolis? 

It's not much better in Philly. The Eagles allow a little more than 140 rushing yards per game, good for 29th in the league.

Last week, the Redskins were blessed with the resurgence of running back Ryan Torain who is a great addition to the play of Tim Hightower and Roy Helu. The Redskins are equipped with serious talent in their backfield and they'll need to try and exploit a shoddy Eagles' run-stop. The Eagles are giving up five yards per carry (26th in the NFL) and have given up six rushes over 20 yards (28). Hit 'em where it hurts and run it down their throats. 

Get to Michael Vick

It seems obvious, but seriously, through five games, Vick has 10 turnovers by himself. Although it's difficult to contain and apply pressure to one of the league's most gifted athletes, it works wonders when you do.

Even if you apply pressure and can't seem to get a takeaway, it's good to know Vick feels like a quarterback that is being roughed up entirely too much.

Get used to it Mr. Vick. This is football. And this complaining about more protection is coming from a guy that thought it was fun to electrocute, drown and body-slam canines.

Michael Vick appears to be just a few steps away from a season-ending injury and the Redskins have a record of hitting him hard.

Limit Grossman's Role

For those that didn't know, the Eagles upgraded their secondary over the offseason. With the additions of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha, the Eagles rank seventh in the league in passing yards allowed per game. This, along with the fact that Philly is second in the NFL with 16 sacks, means that Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman could be in a world of trouble come Sunday.

Ironically enough, the Eagles defense has allowed 11 passing touchdowns already this season, trailing only Kansas City as league worst.

Grossman has thrown six touchdowns through four games this season and perhaps he can get lucky against the Eagles. The problem with combining the ideas of "Grossman" and "luck" is that Rex makes entirely too many bad decisions to even have something fall his way.

For a team like Philadelphia who is giving their opposing quarterbacks an average passer-rating of 104, maybe Shanahan and the Boys will let Grossman loose. In my opinion, the safer move appears to be limiting Grossman's role and focusing primarily on the ground game.

Sink the Offensive Tackles

As I mentioned previously, the Eagles are a blitzing bunch. Although they're led by a rookie defensive coordinator (and one that appears to be having some issues), the Eagles are effective at getting after the quarterback.

Remind yourself that Grossman was born with heaps of metal for feet and limited mobility. Suddenly the term "sitting duck" is prominent.

The Redskins offensive line hasn't been the best in pass protection, and I don't anticipate that they transformed over the course of a week, but Trent Williams and Jammal Brown have to be ready for speedsters off the ends. Sink your feet and prepare for the edge rush. Everyone knows Grossman likes only the middle of the pocket. 

Stay Away from 3rd-and-Long

This should be a key to every game, so I apologize for being so boring. But when you're facing a team like the Eagles, that are allowing conversions on just 38 percent of their forced third downs, it becomes significantly more important. The Redskins can't afford third downs at all, let alone third-and-longs against the Eagles defense. 

Control the Clock

So far this season, the Redskins have been effective at managing the game and controlling the clock. We've seen Grossman do his part of trying to throw the game away on a couple occasions, but the Redskins rank second in the NFL in time of possession at 33:40 minutes per game. The more Grossman and the Redskins' offense control the clock, the less we have to worry about Philadelphia's league-best 165 rushing yards per game with an average of 5.9 yards per carry. 

Defense Must Maintain

No one can complain about the Redskins defense this season. Although the third down in Dallas was a crucial mistake, let's not forget that Washington's defense ranks tops in the league on third down (26 percent) and they rank third in sacks (15).

This Sunday will be a tough test for the Redskins, as Michael Vick is the first quarterback that Washington will face this season that can win a game completely with his feet instead of his arm. Beyond the blitzing, linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan will need to do their best at containing Vick and forcing him to step up in the pocket—hopefully into the waiting arms of Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen.

The Redskins' defense is very capable of takeaways, and the Eagles' league-worst 15 turnovers through five games is certainly exciting.

For this game, it's all about limiting the Eagles' rushing attack and forcing at least two turnovers.