Riggo's Rag
FanSided

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 15: Quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles rushes past linebacker Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Football Team during the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 15: Quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles rushes past linebacker Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Football Team during the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Washington defense vs. Philadelphia offense

There is a fair amount of hype surrounding Washington’s defense this offseason. They have added some more talent to the unit, made a scheme switch to a primary 4-3 defense, and they have added two great coaches to the staff in Ron Rivera and Jack Dal Rio. Now, fans will finally get to see if this unit is ready to emerge as a top-10 one among NFL defenses.

The matchup with the Eagles will be difficult in some regards. In last year’s season opener, DeSean Jackson absolutely torched Washington for 154 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. He is back and healthy for Philly, and Washington will have to find a way to slow him down.

Right now, it seems like Ronald Darby is the team’s No. 1 corner. If healthy, Darby should be able to help in that regard, but he will obviously need safety help. And if Darby can’t do the job, then it’s hard to find a player on the team that will be able to operate in that role, especially since Kendall Fuller is at his best in the slot.

More from Commanders News

Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert will be important to contain as well. That will be the responsibility of the linebackers and safeties with Landon Collins being of particular note here. Collins will need to do what he can to make some big hits on these guys to keep them tentative while holding up in coverage and playing the run.

Things look very good for Washington the closer you get to the line of scrimmage. As a result, the defensive line and pass rush unit is the one to watch on defense. First of all, Chase Young is playing in his first NFL game and fans will be excited to see what he can do as a rookie. But the whole group is a strength and is going up against one of the Eagles’ biggest weaknesses, the offensive line.

The Eagles once had a strong blocking unit, but outside of center Jason Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson, much has changed. Their stud right guard, Brandon Brooks, is out for the season. So is second-year left tackle and former first-round pick Andre Dillard. Their replacement for Dillard was so bad that Jason Peters, a 38-year-old player re-signed to replace Brooks at guard, had to be kicked back out to tackle. Peters has been a terrific tackle during his career, but given his age, there’s no guarantee he’ll succeed there.

Because of all this turmoil, Washington’s D-Line could feast. They will be able to generate a ton of pressure on Carson Wentz and rattle the passer, who has been dealing with some groin tightness that could affect his mobility. Young, Montez Sweat, Matt Ioannidis, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Ryan Kerrigan will be paramount in Washington’s bid to stop the Eagles’ offense, but they have the matchup needed to do so.

They should also be able to contain the running game. The defensive line did well in that aspect at the beginning of last year, and Miles Sanders (hamstring) is banged up. The trenches seem like a place where Washington can win, and that battle usually plays a big factor in deciding the outcome of the game.

Home/Commanders News