Eagles at Redskins -- Week 11
Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Md. (grass, outdoors)
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Spread: Redskins by 3.5
Forecast: Another good day for football on Sunday with sun and mid-50s on the docket.
Records: Redskins (Overall: 3-6, NFC East: 0-1); Eagles (Overall: 3-6, NFC East: 1-1)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Jan. 1, 2012: Eagles 34, Redskins 10; Oct. 16, 2011: Eagles 20, Redskins 13. Series record: Redskins lead 78-70-5.
What matters: Stopping big plays. The Eagles’ offense has not produced the way it had hoped, but they remain dangerous. And that’s especially true considering the Redskins’ defense gives up too many big plays. They can’t afford to let Eagles WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin have big games. Nor can they let RB LeSean McCoy get free in the open field. So even without injured QB Michael Vick, the Redskins’ D can’t relax against the Eagles.
Who matters: RB Alfred Morris. The Eagles’ defensive front only worries about getting into the backfield, so when Morris gets the ball he’ll often have to cut earlier than desired and find his way through the muck. But Morris’ vision and cutting ability are why he’s excelled as a sixth-round pick. His ability to make the first defender miss will be crucial Sunday.
Key matchups: Redskins CBs DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson against Eagles’ WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Last season, when the Redskins played man coverage, they often had Wilson vs. Jackson and Hall vs. Maclin. They need to be physical against these receivers and get good help downfield. If the Redskins have to use eight in the box to stop McCoy, it will be tough to provide the help these corners need.
Inside stuff: Look for the Redskins to run a lot of inside zone, something they did quite often vs. the Eagles and their wide-9 look last season. The penetration of the Eagles’ ends makes it difficult to consistently get wide -- and it messes up the blocking angles of the tight ends and fullbacks. Also, the zone read option has been a crucial part of the offense, but because the Eagles ends just get upfield and head to the quarterback, this tactic might not be as effective.
Connections: Redskins P Sav Rocca played for the Eagles from 2007-10. Redskins special teams coach Danny Smith spent 1995-98 with the Eagles. Eagles defensive coordinator Todd Bowles played CB/S for the Redskins from 1986-90 and 1992-93.
Injury report: WR Pierre Garcon (foot/toe) and SS Brandon Meriweather (knee) have been limited in practice all week. The Redskins seem optimistic about Meriweather making his season debut and have said they’d welcome Garcon even if he’s not 100 percent. In fact, they don’t expect him to be but say he could help them anyway.
Stat you should know: Only two teams have allowed more yards per play than Washington's 6.2 yards per play -- Kansas City (6.3) and New Orleans (6.6). The Eagles’ offense, averaging 5.3 per play, ranks only 22nd in the NFL.
Looking ahead: The Redskins have a chance to jump back into playoff contention, crazy as that might sound for a 3-6 team, over the next three games. After Sunday, they play at Dallas on Thanksgiving (they’ve never beaten the Cowboys on this day and only won one game on Turkey Day -- a 20-0 victory against the Lions in 1973), and then host the first-place New York Giants, completing an NFC East triple-header, before hosting Baltimore. The Redskins haven’t shown any reason to think they could sweep the next three games, but they can make their season interesting if they (finally) get hot.
Prediction: Eagles 24, Redskins 21.
John Keim covers the Redskins for the Washington Examiner. Follow him on Twitter @CBSRedskins or @John_Keim.
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