Sizing up the Eagles' Week 6 game in Washington, their first divisional contest of the season.
When the Eagles have the ball
The Eagles didn't have nearly as much offensive success in Detroit as most expected, but they turned it on as the game progressed and Carson Wentz again had decent numbers.
Against the Lions, Wentz was 23 for 25 for 211 yards when targeting anyone other than struggling Nelson Agholor. In the run game, the Eagles averaged 5.5 yards per carry. It almost translated to a come-from-behind win, but the penalties, the slow start and the late fumble from Ryan Mathews proved too much to overcome.
Still, the offense did some more good things in Week 5. Doug Pederson got creative at the goal line and Wentz executed a pair of one-yard touchdown passes. Theoretically, those looks to Mathews and Josh Huff should keep defenses from stacking the box as much to stop the run at the goal line.
Additionally, the two times Wentz faked a handoff and ran should keep defenses from crashing toward the running back going forward.
Now on to the matchups against the 'Skins.
The most important players on Washington's defense are pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan and cornerback Josh Norman. Kerrigan is the defensive X-factor for Washington in this game because he's expected to line up across from debuting rookie right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who gets the start in place of suspended Lane Johnson.
NFL
The Eagles will obviously miss Johnson over the next 10 weeks. He's playing the best football of his career and continues to display uncommon athleticism for a big tackle.
But he and the Eagles have long had a problem blocking Kerrigan, who has six sacks against them in 10 games, his most against any opponent. Washington is 4-1 against the Eagles when Kerrigan has at least one sack.
Linebacker Trent Murphy has added five sacks for Washington, so the pass rush has been effective from both sides.
Norman signed a lucrative offseason deal to join the Redskins after a stellar year with the Panthers. There was some talk this summer that Norman was a system cornerback, that his abilities were enhanced by Carolina's defensive scheme and all the talent around him. But Norman's still a damn good player, and quarterbacks haven't had much success when targeting him this year, going 14 for 26 (53.8 percent) for 181 yards with a TD and an interception.
Fellow cornerback Bashaud Breeland (ankle) is expected to return for this game after missing the last two. Breeland is an adequate corner who was victimized repeatedly by Antonio Brown in Week 1 when the 'Skins decided to not have Norman shadow the other team's best receiver.
This is another game where the Eagles could do their best work over the middle of the field. Washington's two most-used slot corners, Dashaun Phillips and Kendall Fuller, have had a rough time in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks are 18 for 21 for 202 yards with a TD when targeting Phillips and Fuller in the slot. Could mean some good things for Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz.
The Eagles also continue to get Dorial Green-Beckham more and more involved, which is important given Agholor's frequent inability to get open. DGB's snaps have increased in each game with the Eagles, and in Detroit he showed how dangerous he can be after the catch.
The Redskins have been better against the pass than the run this season. They've been gashed on the ground, allowing 130 rush yards per game, third-worst in the NFL ahead of only the Dolphins and 49ers.
It will be interesting to see how the running back snaps shake out. Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner played important roles in Week 3 against the Steelers but received just one snap apiece against the Lions. Darren Sproles continues to see most of the snaps because of his versatility, and you'd think the Eagles would want to get Mathews involved early — if he plays — so he can regain some confidence after last Sunday's costly fumble.
Mathews missed practice Friday with an illness.
When the 'Skins have the ball
You have to start with the expected absence of tight end Jordan Reed because he's Washington's most dynamic and consistent playmaker. The Redskins are a different team without him, and they could be without him for a while. Reed suffered what was reportedly his sixth known concussion this week in practice. After being held out Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, he's almost certainly out Sunday. The Redskins have listed him as questionable, which is interesting because it seemed like he would either be ruled out or doubtful.
With how much money the Redskins paid Reed and with his concussion history, there has already been speculation that Washington could sit him through their Week 9 bye, which would mean missing games against the Eagles, Lions and Bengals.
Reed is so, so important to what the Redskins do offensively. He is basically uncoverable for linebackers and he's a big, sure-handed target in the red zone.
But beyond that, Kirk Cousins loves to utilize Reed early in games to get himself and the offense in rhythm. Of Reed's 33 catches this year, eight have come in the first eight minutes of games. Without him, Washington's first-quarter plan would have to change.
Not facing Reed would be a huge break for the Eagles' defense, which has been the best in the NFL against tight ends.
The expectation here is that if Reed is indeed out, Pierre Garcon will be used more often. Garcon is a possession receiver who does his best work in the middle of the field, converting first downs in traffic. He's hurt the Eagles a lot lately. Last season, Garcon caught seven passes for 55 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the first meeting, then caught seven for 80 with a TD in the second meeting.
We all know how much of an impact DeSean Jackson can have, regardless of whether he has a good game statistically. Two weeks ago against the Browns, for example, Jackson finished with one catch for five yards but also drew a 50-yard pass interference penalty. In three career games against the Eagles, Jackson has gone 5-117-TD, 4-126-TD, and then last season caught four passes for 40 yards and missed the other game. He's burnt the Eagles for a 55-yard catch and an 81-yarder.
Jamison Crowder is another speedy, playmaking wide receiver the Eagles must worry about. He has two touchdowns through the air and one on a punt return this season.
In the running game, Chris Thompson could pose more of a threat to the Eagles than starter Matt Jones. Thompson is an undersized pass-catching back in the mold of Theo Riddick, who caught two TDs last week against the Birds. Before Riddick hurt them, the Eagles had mostly stifled running backs in the passing game because of the strength of their linebackers in coverage. Pro Football Focus has graded Jordan Hicks as the second-best inside linebacker in the NFL in coverage this season and Nigel Bradham as the second-best outside linebacker. Those grades pass the eye test.
Jones is a 6-foot-2, 232-pound, physical runner. But he's mediocre as far as NFL running backs go, with just two career games of more than 65 rushing yards. He gained just 11 yards on seven carries against the Eagles last season. Jones seems like the type of RB the Eagles can keep in check.
On the offensive line, Trent Williams continues to be a force for Washington. In Williams, Lane Johnson and Cowboys LT Tyron Smith, the NFC East has three of the top offensive tackles in all of football.
Cousins has torched the Eagles all three times he's faced them. He's playing with confidence right now and he's at home, but again, he's a different guy when he doesn't have Reed. Plus, this Eagles defense is significantly better and fresher than it's been the last two seasons.
Special teams
The Eagles haven't had as much of a special teams advantage over teams as they've had in the past, but they've still gotten exceptional work out of kicker Caleb Sturgis and punter Donnie Jones, and every team in the NFL is afraid of Sproles as a returner.
Sturgis is 10 for 11 this season and 2 for 2 from 50-plus yards.
Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins is 13 for 14 on the year, but he missed a 56-yarder and an extra point last week.
Prediction
If Reed was playing this game I'd pick the Redskins. But it appears he's not, and I liked what I saw from the Eagles in the second half last week enough to feel confident they'll rebound this Sunday.
This game has a ton of importance even though it's just Week 6. The Cowboys and Redskins both appear capable of winning 10-plus games, so to make the playoffs the Eagles are going to need go at least 2-2 in those four head-to-heads. With the next two weeks coming against Minnesota and at Dallas, the Eagles need to avoid a potential tailspin.
I think Wentz can do enough against this defense, and that this game will come down to how well the Eagles' cornerbacks play against the 'Skins' trio of skilled wide receivers.
Eagles 24, Redskins 20