Redskins vs. Eagles, part 2: 5 keys to victory in Week 17

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 03: Defensive end Brandon Graham #55 of the Philadelphia Eagles sacks quarterback Mark Sanchez #6 of the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 3, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

3. Redskins must do a better job handling the pass rush this time

It’s no secret that the Eagles have a very talented and deep defensive line. It’s also no secret that the Redskins’ offensive line is extremely banged up and outside of Trent Williams, does not have a lot of talent suiting up for this game.

Ever since Brandon Scherff went down, the offensive line has not been the same. They did not handle the pressure well in the first matchup as the Eagles had nine quarterback hits and three sacks. This constant pressure did not allow the offense to get anything going as they had just 235 total yards of offense, 90 of which came on one play.

The Redskins cannot let the Eagles pass rush affect this game in the manner that they did the first one. Josh Johnson is much more familiar within the offense than Mark Sanchez was when he replaced the injured Colt McCoy, so that will help.

Johnson needs to go through his progressions quick and get the ball out of his hand. Chris Thompson can help as he is both a terrific blocker and a weapon in the screen game. He did not have a great game the first time around, but it was his first game after a month-long absence, so expect him to play much better this time. If the Redskins can handle the Eagles’ pass rush and give Johnson time to pass, they stand an excellent shot of winning their home finale.

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