There's a kind of hush all over the Eagles' world…tonight… I get a general sense that the majority of Philly fans are hedging their bets about falling in love with this team. It will take a "W" at Lincoln Financial Library on Sunday to get them over the hump. Most fans of this franchise don't care about a "two-year fix" or Chip Kelly's growing pains. To get these fans from a state of quiet desperation to one of quiet aspiration, the Eagles will have to end their 10-game home-field losing streak on Sunday. A "nice try" won't be good enough.
Me? I take the longer approach—sure, it would be great to hang another divisional loss on the Redskins and go into the Bye at 6-5. But even if that doesn't happen, the most important outcome of this game will be the actual Bye week itself. It comes at a critically advantageous time for the Birds, who are pretty banged up right now, and will allow for some healing and some serious self-scouting.
Coming out of the Bye week fresh and with a solid game plan for the stretch run is when we really get to know this team. We will find out if to know them is to love them.
The Eagles could be missing up to four starters when they host the Redskins tomorrow in a crucial NFC East game.
With first place in the balance, rookie safety Earl Wolff (knee) has been ruled out for tomorrow’s game. Wolff was injured last week in the win over Green Bay.
Cornerback Bradley Fletcher (pectoral), linebacker Mychal Kendricks (knee) and left tackle Jason Peters (quad) are listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, meaning there is a 50-50 chance they will play. Fletcher, who was injured two weeks ago in the win over Oakland, was listed as questionable last week for the Green Bay game and did not play. He was replaced by Roc Carmichael, who would start again if Fletcher cannot go.
The Eagles also listed backup linebacker Jake Knott (hamstring) as out for the game. Knott has been out since he suffered the hamstring injury Oct. 20 against Dallas.
Quarterback Mike Vick (hamstring) is listed as questionable. Vick left the Giants game in the second quarter when he re-injured the hamstring, back on Oct. 27. He has been inactive the past two weeks. Perhaps, there’s a chance he could serve as Nick Foles’ backup tomorrow…but don't count on it.
Mark Eckel of the Times of Trenton contributed some observations from his pre-game notebook:
• Kelly thinks DeSean Jackson’s season is as much a credit to him mentally as is it physically.
Jackson goes into tomorrow’s game with 54 catches for 903 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s within eight catches, 253 yards and two touchdowns of personal bests in all three categories. Jackson also leads the team with 18 catches of 20 or more yards.
“He’s a very intelligent player,” Kelly said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit for that. He picks things up like that. He can tell you it’s coverage this, this, they’re playing me this way. He’s leaning that way. He’s got a great football mind.”
• According to Pro Football Focus, which charts and grades every play from every game, rookie right tackle Lane Johnson continues to get better each week. Johnson, according to PFF stats, was perfect in pass protection (24 pass blocks) for the second straight week.
Also on the offensive line, Barbre, who replaced Peters last week, graded out well in his 19 pass blocks, although he was called for a holding penalty on one of them.
Center Jason Kelce, who allowed a sack and a hurry, graded out the worst of the offensive linemen. Guard Todd Herremans did not fare very well, either.
Meanwhile Redskins.com's Brian Tinsman gives us a perspective on how badly Washington and the Shanahans need to win this game on Sunday in order to placate their own fan base.
"Lincoln Financial Field has hardly been a safe haven for the Eagles, who have lost 10 straight home games dating back to September 2012. The frustration of Eagles fans grows with each mounting defeat.
"This is a situation that the Redskins have to exploit. The Eagles are tied for first place in the division right now and their fans are excited to become a factor in the game. Philadelphia has the well-deserved reputation of having passionate, vocal fans, and the Redskins have the opportunity to turn them against the home team."
I guess Brian hasn't been to the Linc lately, where rarely have we seen the fans turn "against" their team. They just walk away.
Nevertheless, some valid keys to the Redskins' plan to smash our aspirations:
— Start fast. It's something the Redskins have struggled with all year, but have the ability to do. Be aggressive in the opening possession and leave the Eagles reeling. A balanced offensive attack is always the best plan, but when the opportunities open up in the passing game, take shots down the field. Last year, the Redskins scored on passes of 49 yards and 61 yards to Aldrick Robinson and Santana Moss respectively. Set up the running game, establish play action and then light 'em up.
— The Redskins coaches and players can say what they want about this not being a personal game, but they certainly owe the Eagles a payback for the Week 1 dismantling on national television. The offense was held scoreless until the third quarter and turned the ball over three times. Alfred Morris fumbled twice in his first three touches. The defense gave up 263 rushing yards.
Revenge motive aside, this is a Redskins team that seems to operate best when they can be methodical and take the emotion out of the contest. That was the squad's calling card last season when they rattled off seven-straight wins to the playoffs. It's not a lack of passion, but it's harnessing it in the right way. The Redskins need to play inspired, but extremely disciplined football on Sunday. Given the slim margin of error on the road against a division opponent, the Redskins need to win the turnover battle, time of possession, and not get flagged for flagrant penalties.
— So far this season, the Redskins are averaging 6.5 penalties for 57 yards per game, committing the same number of turnovers as takeaways and holding possesion for 31:48. The Eagles average 6.3 penalties for 57 yards per game, earning two more takeaways than turnovers and holding the ball for 25:10. The Redskins believe if they can win the turnover battle, time of possession and the penalties contest, then they should walk out of Philadelphia with their fourth win of the season.
— Counting the Redskins' loss to Minnesota last Thursday, the Redskins are 10-2 when running back Alfred Morris gets 20 or more carries. The Redskins have ridden A.M.Trak to Philly before, and now it's time to ride him home. The Shanahans enjoy running the hot hand in the running game and Morris is red hot right now, piling up 51 carries for 260 yards and a touchdown in a span of four days. Unlike most other backs that wear down over the course of a game, Morris has a reputation for getting stronger as the contest goes along.
— The alternative is throwing the ball too much and letting the Eagles and NFL leading rusher LeSean McCoy dictate the pace of the game. The Redskins gave up 263 yards on the ground in Week 1 and let the Eagles stay on the field for 20 minutes in the first half, putting the game away before halftime.
The difference this time around is that the Redskins should know what to expect with 10 weeks of Eagles game film at their disposal. Here's the trick: McCoy is having a Pro Bowl caliber season (932 yards, three touchdowns), but has been limited to four 100-yard games while he has been limited to fewer than 60 yards on five occasions. The Redskins are comfortable with taking him out of the game and taking their chances with Nick Foles.
— The Redskins' pass rush has only seven sacks in the last five games and needs to get back on track against a much more traditional pocket passer. On the flipside of the ball, Robert Griffin III has been outstanding in the last two weeks and has played like his 2012 form ever since the bye week. He is the straw that stirs the Redskins drink on offense, and his accuracy in recent weeks, combined with his willingness to run hard and take a hit makes him primed for a big-time performance.
Both offenses want to run the football, but this game is likely to boil down to the stat line of each quarterback. Who's better at protecting the football, keeping the play alive and throwing the football downfield should determine which sophomore QB celebrates at the end of the day in Philly.
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