Game Preview, Week 15: Washington at Philadelphia
December 17, 2021
by Steve Thomas
Well, the big four game winning streak came to a brutal, crashing end last week courtesy of the arch-rival Dallas Cowboys, but the Redskins Washington has a chance for redemption this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Certainly, the Eagles have had their share of ups and downs this season, but since both teams are 6 – 7, this game has major Wild Card implications. Plus, I refuse to believe that Washington can lose, again, to a team with the worst and most vile fanbase in the country. Unfortunately, Washington has had a huge run of players landing on the coronavirus list, so there’s no telling exactly who’s going to line up on Sunday. Can Washington get its mojo back after last week’s stinker, thereby preserving their playoff standing? Can they actually manage to get 11 players on the field at one time? We’ll on find out on Sunday. Our game preview starts below.
Game time & location: Tuesday, December 21, 2021, 7:00 p.m. ET, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA; Gates open 4:30 9.m. ET (earlier access to premium seating and facilities); parking lots open 2:00 p.m.
Television: Fox
Television announcers: Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, Laura Okmin
TV broadcast map: click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Washington radio network: click here
Eagles radio network: click here
Satellite radio: Sirius XM: 226 (Eagles broad.) internet: 831 (Washington broad.)
Redskins roster: click here
Redskins depth chart: click here
Eagles roster: click here
Eagles depth chart: click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Eagles: 87 – 80 – 6 (last 10: 4 – 6; streak: 2 – 0)
Last meeting: W, January 3, 2021, 20 – 14
Early odds: Eagles, -5
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Field an NFL-caliber team
As of Wednesday evening, Washington has 18 players on the coronavirus list and another 10 on the injured list, including 7 who were unable to practice. The inured group includes receiver Terry McLaurin, J.D. McKissic, and both active centers. The coronavirus list is almost certainly going to change, as some players will be released from authoritarian jail, while it’s possible that others will be added. The point is that Washington is going to have to figure out how to put a legitimate team on the field. There isn’t a position group on the team that is untouched right now, so this is a major challenge for Ron Rivera and company. This has the potential to go really badly, but we’ll see as we get closer to gametime.
Keep Jalen Hurts in the pocket
Quarterback Jalen Hurts isn’t necessarily a top-notch NFL passer, but he’s uber-athletic and an outstanding runner. In fact, he’s the Eagles leading rusher this season, with 122 attempts for 695 yards, 5.7 yards per attempt, and 8 touchdowns. As a passer, Hurts has a 60% completion percentage and an 83.9 quarterback rating, both of which being decided underwhelming. Washington is going to have to figure out how to limit Hurts’ impact on the ground by keeping him in the pocket. That’s a tall order considering the enormity of the injuries and coronavirus problems, but it’s big key to the game.
Improve third down defense
One of the few ways Philadelphia has been able to stay in some games is they happen to be very good on third downs. The Eagles are ranked 4th in the NFL by this metric, at 45.45% percent, whereas Washington has been the worst defense in the NFL in this regard, only moving up to 31st this past week against Dallas. Another key to this game is to keep the Eagles running game off the field, and that means solid third down defense.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
This seems like a bit unusual for a key matchup, but with Terry McLaurin currently in the concussion protocol, believe it or not, it may fall to Brown to make headway against one of the best cover corners in the league. Certainly, if McLaurin is able to make it back – which is unlikely – this becomes a much more interesting battle, because in the past, Slay has actually gotten the best of McLaurin at times. Either way, this battle will be important to Washington’s offensive production.
Jamin Davis vs. Dallas Goedert
The job of covering the Eagles’ talented tight end, Dallas, Goedert, will fall primarily to the athletic Davis. Goedert is a fairly important part of Philadelphia’s passing game, with 596 receiving yards in 41 receptions, 14.5 yards per reception, and 4 touchdowns. Davis hasn’t exactly impressed this season as much as expected, but he has a big job against the Eagles this week.
William Jackson III vs. DeVonta Smith
Smith is Philadelphia’s top receiver; Jackson is Washington’s #1 corner. This matchup is fairly obviously, and is also probably the highest profile matchup in the game. Jackson has had his ups and downs this year, and as our writer Noone from Tampa has documented, he’s also leading the team in penalties. It would behoove Jackson to turn in a quality performance against the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (active roster only) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
D – doubtful NL – not listed
| Washington | Eagles |
| CB T. Apke, illness; Wed: DNP; Thurs: to Covid list | DE D. Barnett, neck; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| C K. Ismael, illness; Wed: DNP; Thurs: to Covid list; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP; Mon: FP | DT F. Cox, NIR (rest); Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| LB J. Kunaszyk, hamstring; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP; Mon: FP | RB J. Howard, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| C T. Larsen, achilles; Wed: DNP; Thurs: to Covid list | QB J. Hurts, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| RB J.D. McKissic, concussion; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; Sun: DNP; Mon: DNP; game: O | T L. Johnson, NIR (rest); Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| WR T. McLaurin, concussion; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP; Mon: FP | LB P. Johnson, back; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| WR C. Samuel, hamstring; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; Sat: DNP; Sun: DNP; Mon: DNP; game: O | C J. Kelce, NIR (rest)/ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| LB C. Holcomb, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: LP; Sun: LP; Mon: FP | RB M. Sanders, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| G B. Scherff, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP; Sat: LP; Sun; LP; Mon: to Covid list | CB S. Nelson, shoulder; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP; Sat: FP; Sun: FP |
| QB T. Heinicke, right elbow; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: to Covid list | |
| TE R. Seals-Jones, illness; Wed: NL; Thurs: NL; Fri: NL; Sat: NL; Sun: DNP; Mon: FP; game: Q |
TEAM STATISTICS
Washington:
Washington’s offense has scored 266 points, which is ranked 23rd. They are ranked 20th in total yards, 22nd in passing yards, 12th in rushing yards, and 19th in rushing yards per attempt. Washington is averaging 31:28 in time of possession, which is ranked 6th, and remains terrible in the red zone, converting touchdowns on just 51.28% of trips to the red zone, which is ranked 28th.
On defense, Washington has surrendered 324 points, which is ranked 23rd. They are ranked 19th in total yards surrendered, 30th in passing yards, 5th in rushing yards, and 8th in rushing yards per attempt. Washington took a tremendous leap in third down defense this week, rocketing up the standings to 31st in the NFL at 48.84%. Opposing quarterbacks have earned an averaging rating of 101.2, which is ranked 29th in the league.
Record: 6 – 7 (2nd) (Away: 3 – 3; NFC: 5 – 3; NFC East 1 – 1)
All-time franchise record: 616 – 619 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 23 (points) / 20 (total yards) / 20 (yards per game) / 21 (yards per play) / 22 (passing yards) / 21 (passing yards per att.) / 12 (rushing yards) / 19 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 266 |
| Yards per game | 336.2 |
| Passing
|
433 att (19th); 285 comp; 65.8% comp per. (16th); 6.9 Y/A; 2778 net yds; 19 TD; 12 Int |
| Passing leader | Heinicke (418 att (15th), 2931 yds (17th), 66.5% comp perc (16th), 19 TDs / 12 Int, 89.9 QB rating (21st) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (808 yds (24th), 107 tgts (15th), 61 rec (25th), 5 TDs, 13.2 YPC (44th)) |
| Rushing | 377 att (9th); 1593 yds; 4.2 Y/A; 122.5 Y/G (13th); 9 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Gibson (216 att (5th), 836 yds (7th), 5 TDs (26th), 3.9 Y/A (35th), long 27) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 30 / 18 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 31:28 / 6 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 38.82% / 18 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 51.28% / 28 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 23 (points) / 19 (total yards) / 19 (yards per game surrendered) / 8 (yards per play) / 30 (passing yards) / 24 (passing yards per att.) / 5 (rushing yards) / 8 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 324 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 352.7 |
| Opponent’s passing | 472 att (25th); 318 comp; 67.4% comp perc. (24th); 7.4 Y/A; 3368 net yds; 27 TDs; QB Rating 101.2 (29th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 302 att (5th); 1217 yds; 4.0 Y/A; 9 TDs; 93.6 Y/G (5th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 28 / 22 / Allen (7.5) |
| Tackles leader | Holcomb (110) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 8 / 25 / Holcomb, Jackson, McCain (2) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 48.84% / 31 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 54.55% / 11 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 24.9 Y/R (4th), 30 returns, long 101 yards (2nd), 1 TD |
| Punt returns | 9.7 Y/R (8th), 10 returns, long 16 yards (31st), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 21.9 Y/R (18th), 20 returns (9th), 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 8.5 Y/R (19th), 21 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 49.0 Y/P (4th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 21 / 14 / -7 / 27
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 75 / 9
Philadelphia:
The Eagles have scored 337 points, which is ranked 12th in the NFL. They are 15th in total yards and 30th in passing yards, but lead the NFL in rushing yards, and are averaging 5.0 yards per attempt, which is ranked 3rd.
On defense, Philadelphia has surrendered 291 points, which is ranked 16th, and are 10th in total yards, 11th in passing yards, 13th in rushing yards, and 8th in rushing yards per attempt. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging a 97.6 quarterback rating, which is ranked 24th.
Record: 6 – 7 (2nd); (Home: 1 – 4; NFC: 4 – 4; NFC East: 0 – 2)
All-time franchise record: 596 – 626 – 27
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
12 (points) / 15 (total yards) / 15 (yards per game) / 15 (yards per play) / 30 (passing yards) / 18 (passing yards per att.) / 1 (rushing yards) / 3 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 337 |
| Yards per game | 356.2 |
| Passing | 379 att (32nd); 233 comp; 61.5% comp per. (27th); 7.1 Y/A; 2551 net yds; 15 TDs; 8 Int |
| Passing leader | Hurts (351 att (23rd), 2435 yds (24th), 60.1% comp per. (28th), 13 TDs / 8 Int, 83.9 QB rating (26th)) |
| Reception leader | Smith (701 yds (31st), 82 targets (36th), 50 rec (48th), 4 TDs (62nd), 14.0 Y/C (27th) |
| Rushing | 412 att (2nd); 2080 yds; 5.0 Y/A; 160.0 Y/G (1st); 19 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Hurts (122 att (29th), 695 yds (16th), 8 TDs (9th), 5.7 Y/A (3rd), long 31 yds (51st)) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 23 / 6 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 29:12 / 24 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 45.45% / 4 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 63.64% / 7 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 16 (points) / 10 (total yards) / 9 (yards per game surrendered) / 10 (yards per play) / 11 (passing yards) / 12 (passing yards per att.) / 13 (rushing yards) / 8 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 291 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 336.5 |
| Opponent’s passing | 450 att (16th); 317 comp; 70.4% comp per. (30th); 6.9 Y/A; 2952 net yds; 22 TDs; QB rating 97.6 (24th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 356 att (19th); 1422 yds; 4.0 Y/A; 13 TDs |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 21 / 30 / Hargrave (7.5) |
| Tackles leader | Singleton (109) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 9 / 20 / Slay (3) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 39.74% / 16 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 64.58% / 23 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 17.7 Y/R (29th), 24 returns, long 44 yards (16th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 6.7 Y/R (29th), 24 returns, long 22 yards (19th), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 26.5 Y/R (29th), 25 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 9.4 Y/R (24th), 21 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 45.7 Y/P (18th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 13 / 13 / 0 / 19
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 83 / 19
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com