Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Redskins
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
When: 1:oo PM ET, September 21, 2014
Watch: FOX
Live Stream: NFL GameDay
Betting Line: Eagles -6, O/U 50
The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0, despite getting off to slow starts in each of their opening two games. The good news for Chip Kelly’s team is that they are undefeated, in spite of their offensive woes in the first half. In the second half of games thus far, the Eagles look like the best team in the NFL. Kelly will need to preach to his boys the importance of starting strong, as well as sustaining it throughout the entire game.
Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins isn’t quite on the same level as Andrew Luck, whom the Eagles faced in Week 2, but he does possess many similar qualities. These are both strong-armed signal-callers, who have the ability to break down a defense. And while the Colts are probably the better team, despite an 0-2 start, Washington poses a much bigger threat because of their offensive weapons. Not to mention it is also a divisional matchup.
The Eagles will have to contain the likes of former-Eagle DeSean Jackson, as well as Pierre Garçon and standout Week 2 tight end Niles Paul. In addition to the team’s passing weapons, Washington also boast a strong run game, which features Alfred Morris, Roy Helu, and Silas Redd.
Philadelphia biggest asset is their speed. Not only do they move the ball quickly, but the Eagles also have the personnel to make defenses cringe. Running backs LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles will keep the Redskins on their toes, especially when quarterback Nick Foles dumps the ball off to them out of the backfield. Foles has looked great in short yardage situations, but has failed to get anything going downfield thus far. He loves getting tight end Zach Ertz involved, but wide receivers Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin haven;t seen much of the ball yet. That will need to change, in order for this team to keep drives going, not only this week but throughout the season.
Prediction:
Kirk Cousins is a natural drop-back passer, which could actually play into Philadelphia Eagles’ favor. With Robert Griffin III out, the Eagles won’t have to worry about his duel-threat abilities. Cousins certainly has the talent to shred Philadelphia’s defense, but the Eagles can put up points too. While they have struggled out of the gate, the Eagles have scored 58 points in the second half of their opening two games. If they get things going early on offense, then I don’t see how Washington will keep up. With that being said, I expect the game to remain close throughout, with Sproles and McCoy being the deciding factor in this one.