Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Madden Simulation: Eagles heavily favored vs. Redskins in Week 7

By Jacob Camenker

BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 9: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 9: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Washington Redskins are preparing for a key Monday night battle against the Philadelphia Eagles. This week, they are not favored to win.

By all accounts, the Washington Redskins are going to have a tough time beating the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. After losing to the Eagles in the first week of the 2017 season, the two teams have gone in a similar direction. The Eagles have climbed the ladder and are currently looking like the best team in the NFC. With an improved offense and a stout defense under Jim Schwartz, the Eagles look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Meanwhile, the Redskins are a team on the rise as well. They sport a 3-2 record, but they have fought hard in each of their games. Their defense has looked much better this season, and Kirk Cousins has been able to carry their offense. Currently, they are plagued with quite a few injuries, but they still should be competitive given their style of play.

While the Redskins usually remain competitive, this week’s Madden Simulation is not favoring them. The Eagles project to be the better team on paper and per the App Trigger simulation run by Michael Owens, they are set to beat Washington again. This time, the score is set to be 24-10 with the Redskins struggling on the offensive side of the ball.

More from Riggo's Rag

The reason for the loss appears to be a lack of ability to move the ball through the air. Owens pointed this out in his analysis of the simulation:

"The Redskins also didn’t score through the air, as Kirk Cousins threw for 176 yards and an interception that led to a punt by the Eagles on the ensuing possession. Robert Kelley took in the only touchdown for Washington in the third quarter to tie up the game, and the young running back took 21 carries for 79 yards in the loss."

This seems like an entirely possible stat line for Rob Kelley ,but the numbers for Cousins would be surprising. The Eagles are not a strong pass defense and while the Redskins receivers haven’t done well, they should be able to exploit some weaknesses. A more reasonable stat line would see Cousins throw for 250 yards and possibly get a score.

Also, another shortcoming of the simulation is that the Eagles run game is projected to carry the team. That may be possible, especially due to the Redskins loss of Jonathan Allen, but LeGarrette Blount getting nearly 150 yards rushing seems like a long shot. Carson Wentz is more likely to carry the offense and provide the fans with a fireworks display.

Next: Evaluating Redskins D-line after Allen injury

When it’s all said and done, Washington well could lose by a 24-10 score. But still, this game seems more like a potential shootout then a ground-and-pound defensive battle. It will be interesting to see if there’s any accuracy to this simulation on Monday Night Football.

Home/Commanders News