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Washington Football Team vs. Eagles preview, matchups to watch, score prediction

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 15: Chase Roullier #73 of the Washington football team prepares to snap the ball off to Dwayne Haskins #7 during the second half of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 15: Chase Roullier #73 of the Washington football team prepares to snap the ball off to Dwayne Haskins #7 during the second half of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 24: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Football Team lines up against Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions during the first half 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 Football Team lines up against Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions during the first half at FedExField on November 24, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Washington offense vs. Philadelphia defense

The Eagles defense was once one of the stronger units in the NFL and was buoyed by a strong pass rush, solid linebackers, and excellent safeties that helped mask the team’s weakness at corner. Now, they are a bit more vulnerable as a whole.

Currently, the only strong-looking unit on the Eagles defense is their defensive line and pass rush. They have Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Javon Hargrave, and Malik Jackson up front. Because of this, they should be strong against the run and will generate some pressure on Dwanye Haskins.

The position Washington has to be most concerned about is the left tackle spot. Geron Christian is set to start for the team and while he has supposedly improved this offseason, he hasn’t yet played since last season. Could he be much better than fans anticipate? Sure. But could he also have issues handling the Eagles’ pass rush? Absolutely.

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Whoever is thrown at Christian whether it’s Graham, Barnett (if healthy), or a guy like Josh Sweat, Christian needs to hold up. If he doesn’t, Haskins will have trouble staying upright. If that happens, the second-year quarterback’s confidence could be shaken and it would be, frankly, a bad start to the season for Washington.

Fortunately, there are plenty of areas of the field for Washington to attack Philly. The Eagles are worse-off at linebacker after the departure of Nigel Bradham and safety after Malcolm Jenkins’ release, so there will be holes over the middle of the field for Steven Sims and Logan Thomas to exploit. The passing game will need to be sharp over the middle for Washington to be able to move the ball, and it seems that could happen.

Elsewhere, the Eagles did add Darius Slay at cornerback, so his matchup with Terry McLaurin will be fascinating to watch. McLaurin faced Slay last season when he was with the Lions and in that contest, McLaurin generated five catches for 72 yards. That’s pretty good considering how talented Slay is. If McLaurin can continue to create separation in that battle, it will be a good sign for the success of the offense.

As for the running game, they’ll have a tough task trying to break through the Eagles’ tough front. However, Javon Hargrave is dealing with an injury and may miss the game, so perhaps there will be some holes in the interior. Overall though, expect J.D. McKissic and Antonio Gibson to do more damage horizontally and as receivers than by plunging up the middle.

Washington should have a chance to move the ball on Philadelphia. So long as Haskins isn’t under too much heat and McLaurin can gain some separation from Slay, they can win on this side of the ball. It won’t be easy, but if they can slow down the Eagles’ defensive line, their offense should have a nice day.

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