Redskins vs. Eagles game preview and keys to victory

At 1:00 P.M. on Sunday Washington Redskins football awakens from its long spring and summer hybrenation and graces us with is presence. Yet another offseason full of drama, frustration, and curious decision making gives way to excitement and a feeling of hope that the NFL captures better than any other sport, professional or otherwise. Despite the Redskins being ranked or at the bottom of the power rankings of networks, pundits, and experts, the NFL is designed to let us think that our team has a chance each year and many fans feel confident that the Burgundy and Gold can greatly outperform expectations.

The optimist will tell you that the receiving corp, though young and inexperienced, have the potential to be special. The backfield may prove to be one of the best in the NFL, and the defense is the best that the team has had in years. They will tell you that the offensive line, though without its best player, is healthy and can provide new quarterback Case Keenum just enough time to find open receivers. They will say that the front seven will do so much damage to opposing quarterbacks that turnovers will come by the bucket.

Of course the NFL also has a way of pulling the carpet out from under you and punching even the most optimistic fan in the face quickly. Will this season be one of excitement and jubilation for Redskins fans or one full of carpet pulling and punches to the face? Only time will tell, but one this is certain, they have to lineup against a formidable Philadelphia Eagles team on Sunday as the largest underdog of week 1. Vegas has instilled the Eagles as 10 point favorites for the game.

The Eagles enter the game with a roster loaded with talent. The team’s offensive line is one of the best, and most expensive in the NFL. The defensive line, led by the dangerous Fletcher Cox, may be even better than its offensive counterpart. Quarterback Carson Wentz has proven to be a wizard under center, when healthy and he has weapons at the skill positions in Jordan Howard, DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, and Zach Ertz.

If the Eagles have a weakness, it is the back end of their defense. There are plenty of question marks at linebacker for the team and some of its members may have lingering injuries. The Eagles cornerbacks are inexperienced and inconsistent.

The Redskins weakness, is without a doubt, its defensive front seven. A group that includes Jonathan Allen, Da’ron Payne, Matt Ioannodis, Ryan Kerrigan, and Montez Sweat could very well prove to be one of the best in the NFL. The hope is that the dominance of the front seven could help the defensive backfield become elite.

The Redskins weakness all, for the most part fall on the offense. A questionable offensive line, combined with unproven wide receivers and a mediocre, at best, starting quarterback could make for some frustrating football and low point totals. What will it take for this group to defeat the heavily favorited Eagles?

• Put the pressure on Wentz. Carson Wentz is not bad against pressure, but he is much more dangerous without. Football Outsiders uses a metric called DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) which calculates a player’s success based on the down-and-distance of each play during the season, then calculates how much more or less successful each player is compared to the league average. Under pressure in 2018, Wentz ranked 21st in the NFL in DVOA. Without pressure, he was twelfth. The Redskins need to get after him, with and without blitzing and force him into bad throws and turnovers.

• Control the clock. The Redskins defense is their biggest strength. They need to stay off the field and fresh throughout the game. The Redskins passing game is a huge question mark, however the backfield looks primed to be one of the time. Jay Gruden will need to hit the run game heavy, control the clock, and keep Wentz and company on the field. In 2018, the Redskins were 5-3 when they won the possession battle, and 2-6 when they lost it. A heavy run game hides Case Keenum and all of his weakness and highlights the strength of the offense, Adrian Peterson, Derrius Guice, and Chris Thompson.

• Limit penalties – The Eagles were one of the least penalized teams in the NFL in 2018, ranking seventh in the league. The Redskins, on the other hand, were one of the most penalized, ranking 25th. Under Jay Gruden, we have seen time and time again, the offense drives down the field only to have 2 or more consecutive penalties put them into terrible down and distance situations. The team then settles for a field goal or no points, at all. The offensive line features two new players to go with the new quarterback under center. They cannot afford to make new player mistakes and gift the Eagles yardage.

• Vary the play calling. The Redskins, in 2018, ran the ball on first down 34% of the time, 8th most in the NFL. This often left them in second and long situations. During some games, it was very predictable as to what Gruden was going to call based on the down and distance.

The Redskins are huge underdogs on Sunday, but it is the NFL and any given week, any team can beat another team. The formula is simple and it’s very similar to the formula that propelled the Redskins to 6-3 last year. Coming out of Philadelphia with a win in game one would be one of the biggest wins of the Jay Gruden era and go a long ways in setting the tone for this young team.