Predicting the final five games of the Washington Football Team’s season

Week 17 @ Eagles

Everything could come down to a Week 17 battle against the Eagles for Washington. If they want to make the playoffs, they’ll probably need to finish with six or seven wins depending on how the Giants and Eagles do down the stretch.

All three teams have some tough opponents, so it’s possible the number could even be five. But Washington’s goal should be to get to seven, as that number seems, in this strange 2020 season, seems insurmountable.

In Week 1 when these teams met, Washington had the advantage. The Eagles simply had a terrible banged-up offensive line that wouldn’t be able to keep with Washington’s pass rush. After a terrible start, Washington bounced back and was able to dominate the Eagles in the second half and start the season with a win.

Much of the Week 17 result will depend on whether or not each team is in the playoff race. Assuming that they are, Washington still has an advantage. The Eagles still lack healthy offensive linemen and lost Lane Johnson from the season. Their receiving corps in thin as well. And, of course, Carson Wentz has thrown a league-high 14 picks and has been sacked 40 times as of this writing.

Washington’s defensive line should tee off on Wentz and force him into mistakes. On offense, Alex Smith will need to attack the Eagles’ secondary, their biggest weakness, and he should be able to do that, especially if he can hit Terry McLaurin frequently.

Washington has the ability to do this. Will they be able to? Will they even be able to set up this scenario? Those are the questions. We’ll soon see what they can do, but if Washington wants to make the playoffs, this path seems like their best bet toward doing so.

Prediction: Washington wins 27-13

Washington Record: 7-9