Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Redskins vs. Eagles preview: Matchups to watch, score prediction

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 24: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Redskins reacts as a ball is thrown just out of his reach during the first half of the game against the Detroit Lions at FedExField on November 24, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 24: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Redskins reacts as a ball is thrown just out of his reach during the first half of the game against the Detroit Lions at FedExField on November 24, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 24: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Redskins reacts as a ball is thrown just out of his reach during the first half of the game against the Detroit Lions at FedExField on November 24, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 24: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Redskins reacts as a ball is thrown just out of his reach during the first half of the game against the Detroit Lions at FedExField on November 24, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Redskins offense vs. Eagles defense

The Redskins aren’t going to have an easy matchup against the Eagles defense. Philadelphia matches up pretty well against Washington on this side of the ball, but there is one weakness that the team can exploit.

The Eagles have gotten poor play from their cornerbacks for most of the season. While Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, and Rasul Douglas can all hit hot streaks and play well, they simply haven’t been able to do so this year. And as a result, they have struggled to contain opposing passing attacks.

For the Redskins, much of this game will depend on Terry McLaurin‘s ability to get open. McLaurin has proven to be an excellent route runner and a dynamic playmaker for the ‘Skins during his rookie season. He should be able to win against any of the three corners he faces off against, so this will be the matchup to watch when the ‘Skins are on offense. And he should be targeted frequently by Dwayne Haskins.

More from Riggo's Rag

Speaking of Haskins, it will be key for him to have a solid game. He has had his share of struggles as a rookie and has taken many sacks, but he has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks and has done what he can to avoid turnovers. He will be facing a solid Eagles pass rush that has logged 36 sacks this season, but if he can get the ball out of his hands quickly and get it to McLaurin, the team should be able to move the ball through the air.

The passing game will be key for the Redskins in this one. Despite their inconsistency in that area, it appears that they’ll have a better shot to win there than they will have against the run.

The Eagles have the third-best run defense in the league as they only surrender 89.6 yards per game. While the Redskins’ run game has been very good in recent weeks, they lost Derrius Guice for the rest of the season to an MCL sprain. Thus, they will need to rely more on Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson to carry the load in the backfield.

Peterson should do fine as the primary back, but he simply doesn’t have the same explosiveness as Guice and could wear down a bit if he needs to carry the ball 20-plus times. As for Thompson, he’ll likely serve as the third-down back and won’t see a lot of action between the tackles. Wendell Smallwood may get some work to spell Peterson and Thompson as well. But against a tough Eagles run defense, it’s hard to imagine the team doing much on the ground.

The Eagles likely have a slight advantage on this side of the ball unless Haskins and McLaurin can work to expose the Eagles cornerbacks. But on the other side of the ball, it’s a different story.

Home/Commanders News