Spence
12-31-2005, 07:48 PM
Week 17 Game Preview
Who: Washington Redskins [9-6] vs. Philadelphia Eagles [6-9]
What: NFC East match
When: Sunday, 1 January 2005, 4.15 PM
Where: Lincoln Financial Stadium in Philadelphia, PA
Previously: Redskins won 17-10 in week nine
When the Eagles have the ball
Philadelphia QB Mike McMahon has thrown six TD and 7 INT since taking over behind center. Unfortunately, three of those 6 TD were thrown to the other team, giving him a terrible 3-7 TD-INT ratio. He is also completing less than 45% of his passes, in what is a very high-percentage passing offense. McMahon is also prone to giving up sacks [16 in the last four games] and has fumbled six times. The Redskins are getting good pressure on the quarterback and that’s the right prescription for McMahon, who is a terrific runner and a great athlete, but known for making bad decisions when facing a good pass rush. Look for Washington defensive signal-caller Gregg Williams to blitz frequently, especially over the ORT, where Jon Runyan will play, but is suffering from a number of debilitating injuries. SLB Marcus Washington and WLB Lavar Arrington could have success blitzing against Philadelphia’s young and injury-riddled offensive line.
WR Reggie Brown caught a 56-yard TD pass against the Redskins when these two teams faced each other earlier this year and he has the speed to do some damage if Washington loses track of him. WR Greg Lewis has battled a bad case of dropsies this year and has only seven catches for 52 yards in this past five games. TE L.J. Smith is a valuable weapon underneath, but is only really effective near the goal line or if the Eagles have a top receiver to spread the field. They don’t. Chad Lewis can do some damage, but is probably overmatched by Redskins SLB Marcus Washington. The Redskins’ secondary should be able to make some big plays against an erratic McMahon and his mediocre supporting cast. McMahon’s only real chances to make big plays will be if the Redskins get out of position when McMahon leaves the pocket. A disciplined Redskins defense should shut the Eagles’ passing game down. Look for Greg Williams to have his defense playing a lot of man-press coverage.
With TB Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter on injured reserve, the Eagles have turned to TB Ryan Moats, a little-known kid with impressive speed. Moats did nothing last week in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but he did make big plays against the St. Louis Rams and New York Giants. The Redskins defense has given up big plays in the running game this year, but has tightened up recently, giving up about 70 rushing yards per game during the current four-game winning streak. Having DT Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave’a healthy at the same time makes the Redskins one of the NFL’s top teams against the rush and pass.
When the Redskins have the ball
Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs wants to run the ball 40 times and pass 20 times per game and he will have QB Mark Brunell hand the ball to TB Clinton Portis early and often. Portis has four straight 100-yard games, averaging 26 carries in those contests. The Redskins have a big and very physical offensive line that should get the better of an under-achieving defensive line. Eagles DT Mike Patterson is having a good year, but DT Darwin Walker has been a disappointment and DE Jevon Kearse, who is injured and may not play, continues to be an expensive mistake. DE N.D. Kalu, a former Redskin, has been benched for poor performance. Kearse could see a steady diet of Clinton Portis if the Redskins elect to run right over massive OG Ray Brown and steady ORT Jon Jansen.
The Redskins should have big opportunities to make plays through the air, when they do pass – which won’t be often if Joe Gibbs and Quarterbacks Coach Bill Musgrave have anything to say about it. Eagles CB Lito Sheppard is out for the season and CB Sheldon Brown is playing with a sprained medial collateral ligament. The Eagles have great safeties, Michael Lewis and Brian Dawkins, but they will have a big job covering up for problems with the cornerbacks. If the Eagles move their safeties closer to the line of scrimmage to help out against Portis, Redskins WR Santana Moss will beat Philadelphia deep. The Eagles will probably have to use SLB Dhani Jones to cover surging H-Back Chris Cooley because the Dawkins and Lewis will be needed to contain Portis and Moss. If so, Brunell will look for Cooley often, as few linebackers have been able to stay with him all year.
Brunell has had a lot of time to throw in recent weeks and that will probably continue. Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jimmy Johnson likes to blitz a lot and will probably need to use Lewis and Dawkins to get pressure. Washington’s gigantic interior line of C Casey Rabach, Brown, and OG Derrick Dockery should be able to handle, perhaps manhandle, Darwin Walker and Mike Patterson. DE Trent Cole is not much of a threat against Pro Bowl OLT Chris Samuels and, as noted, Kearse has been an expensive mistake so he might not able to do much against Jansen, even if Kearse is healthy enough to play.
Positional Comparison
Quarterbacks: Advantage Redskins
Running Backs: Advantage Redskins
Tight Ends: Advantage Redskins
Wide Receivers: Advantage Redskins
Offensive Line: Advantage Redskins
Defensive Line: Advantage Redskins
Linebackers: Advantage Redskins
Secondary: Advantage Redskins
Special Teams: Even
Coaching: Even
Home Field: Advantage Eagles
Intangibles: Advantage Redskins
Prediction: Washington 31 Philadelphia 10
Who: Washington Redskins [9-6] vs. Philadelphia Eagles [6-9]
What: NFC East match
When: Sunday, 1 January 2005, 4.15 PM
Where: Lincoln Financial Stadium in Philadelphia, PA
Previously: Redskins won 17-10 in week nine
When the Eagles have the ball
Philadelphia QB Mike McMahon has thrown six TD and 7 INT since taking over behind center. Unfortunately, three of those 6 TD were thrown to the other team, giving him a terrible 3-7 TD-INT ratio. He is also completing less than 45% of his passes, in what is a very high-percentage passing offense. McMahon is also prone to giving up sacks [16 in the last four games] and has fumbled six times. The Redskins are getting good pressure on the quarterback and that’s the right prescription for McMahon, who is a terrific runner and a great athlete, but known for making bad decisions when facing a good pass rush. Look for Washington defensive signal-caller Gregg Williams to blitz frequently, especially over the ORT, where Jon Runyan will play, but is suffering from a number of debilitating injuries. SLB Marcus Washington and WLB Lavar Arrington could have success blitzing against Philadelphia’s young and injury-riddled offensive line.
WR Reggie Brown caught a 56-yard TD pass against the Redskins when these two teams faced each other earlier this year and he has the speed to do some damage if Washington loses track of him. WR Greg Lewis has battled a bad case of dropsies this year and has only seven catches for 52 yards in this past five games. TE L.J. Smith is a valuable weapon underneath, but is only really effective near the goal line or if the Eagles have a top receiver to spread the field. They don’t. Chad Lewis can do some damage, but is probably overmatched by Redskins SLB Marcus Washington. The Redskins’ secondary should be able to make some big plays against an erratic McMahon and his mediocre supporting cast. McMahon’s only real chances to make big plays will be if the Redskins get out of position when McMahon leaves the pocket. A disciplined Redskins defense should shut the Eagles’ passing game down. Look for Greg Williams to have his defense playing a lot of man-press coverage.
With TB Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter on injured reserve, the Eagles have turned to TB Ryan Moats, a little-known kid with impressive speed. Moats did nothing last week in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but he did make big plays against the St. Louis Rams and New York Giants. The Redskins defense has given up big plays in the running game this year, but has tightened up recently, giving up about 70 rushing yards per game during the current four-game winning streak. Having DT Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave’a healthy at the same time makes the Redskins one of the NFL’s top teams against the rush and pass.
When the Redskins have the ball
Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs wants to run the ball 40 times and pass 20 times per game and he will have QB Mark Brunell hand the ball to TB Clinton Portis early and often. Portis has four straight 100-yard games, averaging 26 carries in those contests. The Redskins have a big and very physical offensive line that should get the better of an under-achieving defensive line. Eagles DT Mike Patterson is having a good year, but DT Darwin Walker has been a disappointment and DE Jevon Kearse, who is injured and may not play, continues to be an expensive mistake. DE N.D. Kalu, a former Redskin, has been benched for poor performance. Kearse could see a steady diet of Clinton Portis if the Redskins elect to run right over massive OG Ray Brown and steady ORT Jon Jansen.
The Redskins should have big opportunities to make plays through the air, when they do pass – which won’t be often if Joe Gibbs and Quarterbacks Coach Bill Musgrave have anything to say about it. Eagles CB Lito Sheppard is out for the season and CB Sheldon Brown is playing with a sprained medial collateral ligament. The Eagles have great safeties, Michael Lewis and Brian Dawkins, but they will have a big job covering up for problems with the cornerbacks. If the Eagles move their safeties closer to the line of scrimmage to help out against Portis, Redskins WR Santana Moss will beat Philadelphia deep. The Eagles will probably have to use SLB Dhani Jones to cover surging H-Back Chris Cooley because the Dawkins and Lewis will be needed to contain Portis and Moss. If so, Brunell will look for Cooley often, as few linebackers have been able to stay with him all year.
Brunell has had a lot of time to throw in recent weeks and that will probably continue. Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jimmy Johnson likes to blitz a lot and will probably need to use Lewis and Dawkins to get pressure. Washington’s gigantic interior line of C Casey Rabach, Brown, and OG Derrick Dockery should be able to handle, perhaps manhandle, Darwin Walker and Mike Patterson. DE Trent Cole is not much of a threat against Pro Bowl OLT Chris Samuels and, as noted, Kearse has been an expensive mistake so he might not able to do much against Jansen, even if Kearse is healthy enough to play.
Positional Comparison
Quarterbacks: Advantage Redskins
Running Backs: Advantage Redskins
Tight Ends: Advantage Redskins
Wide Receivers: Advantage Redskins
Offensive Line: Advantage Redskins
Defensive Line: Advantage Redskins
Linebackers: Advantage Redskins
Secondary: Advantage Redskins
Special Teams: Even
Coaching: Even
Home Field: Advantage Eagles
Intangibles: Advantage Redskins
Prediction: Washington 31 Philadelphia 10