Washington Football Team: Five bold predictions vs. Eagles in Week 17

5. Alex Smith starts, records season-low in pass attempts

Alex Smith is questionable coming into this game as he deals with the lingering effects of a calf injury in his surgically repaired leg. Washington will surely approach his return with caution, but all signs have been positive about his availability so far this week.

That said, Washington probably won’t ask Smith to do too much in this game, if they can help it. Their goal should be to have him manage the game but mostly try to run the ball on the Eagles, wear them out on defense, and keep the chains moving.

As a result, Smith could end up logging a season-low in passing attempts in this contest, if everything breaks right. In a start, his lowest total of passes was 25, but in relief of Kyle Allen against the Rams, he threw 17 passes.

Smith could end up throwing just 16 times in this game if Washington can consistently move the ball on the ground. Again, their goal should be to put Smith in as little danger as possible and though the Eagles will be without two of their best pass rushers in this game, there is little reason to risk having Smith drop back and throw 30+ times — provided that Washington doesn’t fall behind.

The game-plan here is simple for Washington. Run the ball a lot, throw it when you need to, and sprinkle in some nice play-action passes to keep the defense off-balance. Do that, and they should be able to win the game without having to rely too much on Smith’s arm.

We’ll see if that ends up being Washington’s plan or if Taylor Heinicke ends up getting the nod as the starter. But either way, expect a ground-dominant passing attack from Washington in this must-win game.