Game Preview, Week 17: Washington at Philadelphia
January 2, 2021
by Steve Thomas
Washington will play a role in a sad bit of football history this weekend. Since the NFL went to the 16 game season in 1978, only two teams have made the playoffs with a losing record, the 2010 Seattle Seahawks at 7 – 9 and the 2014 Carolina Panthers at 7 – 8 – 1. In that time span, only 10 teams have made the playoffs at 8 – 8, most recently the Denver Broncos in 2011. Zero teams have made the playoffs with a 6 – 10 record. Barring a tie, the Redskins Washington will either be the division champions at 7 – 9, or out of the playoffs at 6 – 10. However, Giants have a chance at being the first team to ever win a division at 6 – 10. What that would mean is that the 2020 NFC East would officially be the worst division in modern NFL history, at least since 1978. Certainly, we are all rooting for Washington to win, but if that doesn’t happen, seeing the Giants beat Dallas and achieve that dubious honor would be a pretty awesome consolation prize. The NFL even flexed this game to the Sunday night slot in order to build this excitement just a bit longer (thanks, NFL, for forcing us into a Hog Sty Late Night episode; we’d hate to have this season end without one). Standing in the way of the hopes and dreams of Washington’s players and fans alike are the Philadelphia Eagles, who would certainly enjoy spoiling Washington’s playoff chances. The Eagles posted an ultra-cautious injury report that suggests they are more interested in not getting anybody seriously hurt heading into the offseason than actually winning this game; but still, trying to predict what Washington will look like in a game is a fool’s errand. Our playoff preview begins below.
Game time & location: Sunday, January 3, 2021, 8:20 p.m. ET, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA; no fans
Television: NBC
Television announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
TV broadcast map: click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Washington radio network: click here
Eagles radio network: click here
Satellite radio: XM: 226 (Wash. broad.) Sirius: 81 (Wash. broad); internet: 831 (Wash. 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: 86 – 80 – 6 (last 10: 4 – 6; streak: 1 – 0)
Last meeting: W, September 13, 2020, 27 – 17
Early odds: Washington, -1.5
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Competence in the passing game
We are all aware of the tenuous circumstances of Washington’s passing game. Whether Alex Smith or Taylor Heinicke starts, Washington must produce a viable passing game without repeatedly turning the ball over. This team isn’t good enough to win games solely based on a rushing attack, and that goes double for a critical game against a division rival. Smith is clearly the best quarterback on the team, but even he has had more than his share of turnovers this year. Washington showed signs of life under Heinicke late in the Panthers game last week, but he was also playing in garbage time against a mediocre opponent. Certainly, this is the most important factor in Washington’s ability to win this game.
Don’t let Jalen Hurts beat you with his legs
By traditional measures, at least, Hurts isn’t a very good NFL quarterback – he has a 54.7% completion percentage and a quarterback rating of just 85.7 in three starts. Despite that, he has provided the Eagles with a spark and he’s already run for 320 yards at an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Washington traditionally doesn’t do very well against mobile quarterbacks, so Hurts presents more of a challenge than Wentz in this regard. Washington’s principal goal on defense should be to keep Hurts in the pocket, not let him scramble, and instead dare him to win the game with his arm.
Good coverage by linebackers underneath
The Eagles have two quality tight ends, Dallas Goedert and the All-World Zach Ertz, who just recently returned to action following a high ankle sprain suffered in October. Goedert was listed as out on Friday, but Ertz is good to go for this game, and it’s going to be on Jonathan Bostic, Cole Holcomb, and rookie Khaleke Hudson to keep him from going wild in Washington’s defensive backfield. Goedert tied with Travis Fulgham for the team lead in receiving yards, so he’s a big loss for the Eagles Washington needs to make a particular effort to keep Ertz in check in order win the game.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
Brandon Graham vs Morgan Moses
Graham is leading the Eagles in sacks and is probably their most talented pass rusher. With Washington needing to establish some semblance of a passing attack this week, this high-profile matchup rises to the forefront as a key battle to watch out for. Washington has given up lots of sacks this year – 47, which is ranked 29th, and the last thing they need this week is for the trend to continue. Keep an eye out on how well Moses is doing against Graham.
Chase Young and Montez Sweat vs Matt Pryor and somebody rumored to be an NFL player
Similarly, the Eagles have also given up sacks in bunches this season; in fact, they are the worst team in the NFL by that measure. Philadelphia previously lost both of their starting tackles, the big mouthed Lane Johnson and the ancient Jason Peters, and now one of the backups, Jordan Mailatta, is also out, so Young and Sweat need to take advantage of this situation to not only put legitimate pressure on the rookie Hurts, but also to seal the edges in order to keep Hurts from killing Washington with his legs.
Terry McLaurin or . . . someone vs Darius Slay
This is a big-time matchup against two elite talents, if McLaurin, who has an ankle injury, actually plays. McLaurin had 5 receptions in 7 targets for 61 yards in his week 1 matchup against Slay and the Eagles. Washington needs him to produce at a major level in order to provide Washington with at least one weapon that scares the Eagles. Slay is of course a former First Team All-Pro and 3x Pro Bowler, so this is probably the highest profile matchup on the field. If McLaurin can’t play, then this matchup becomes Robert Foster vs Darius Slay, which is an entirely different beast, and not in a good way for Washington.
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 |
| DT J. Allen, NIR; Wed: DNP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | DE D. Barnett, calf; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| LB T. Davis Sr, knee; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | LB S. Bradley, neck; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| RB A. Gibson, toe; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: Q | DT F. Cox, neck; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| WR T. McLaurin, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: Q | TE D. Goedert, calf; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| G W. Schweitzer, hip; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: FP | WR D. Jackson, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| QB A. Smith, calf; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | CB M. Jacquet, calf; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| LB K. Pierre-Louis, ankle; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | T J. Mailata, concussion; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| DT T. Settle, shoulder; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | TE R. Rodgers, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| WR Q. Watkins, rib; Wed: DNP; Thurs: LP; Fri: FP | |
| LB D. Riley, biceps; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: DNP; game: O | |
| S J. Mills, illness; Wed: NL; Thurs: DNP; Fri: to Reserve/COVID | |
| RB M. Sanders, knee; Wed: NL; Thurs: LP; Fri: DNP; game: O | |
| WR A. Jeffrey, personal; Wed: NL; Thurs: NL; Fri DNP |
TEAM STATISTICS
Washington:
Washington’s offense continues to be putrid overall, having scored just 315 points, which is ranked 26 in the NFL. They are 30th in total yards, 31st in yards per play, 26th in both passing yards and rushing yards, and 28th in rushing yards per attempt. Washington is 25th in third down conversions and 29th in sacks surrendered. This offense doesn’t do anything particularly well, outside of the stats compiled by the two stars, McLaurin and Antonio Gibson, who is averaging 4.8 yards per rushing attempt. At this point, nothing is going to change for this group until next year.
Defensively, Washington continues to post top-quality numbers: they are now 5th in total points surrendered, with 315, 4th in total yards, and 3rd in passing yards. Their statistical weakness continues to be run defense – the team is ranked 12th in rushing yards surrendered and yards per carry. Washington is 3rd in red zone defense, as measured by touchdowns surrendered, and 7th in third down defense.
Record: 6 – 9 (1st) (Away: 3 – 4; NFC: 4 – 7; NFC East: 3 – 2)
All-time franchise record: 609 – 611 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 26 (points) / 30 (total yards) / 30 (yards per game) / 31 (yards per play) / 26 (passing yards) / 29 (passing yards per att.) / 26 (rushing yards) / 28 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 315 |
| Yards per game | 321.9 |
| Passing
|
569 att (9th); 367 comp; 64.5% comp per. (23rd); 6.4 Y/A; 3320 net yds; 14 TD; 14 Int |
| Passing leader | Haskins (241 att (33rd), 1439 yds (35th), 61.4% comp perc, 5 TDs / 7 Int, 73.0 QB rating); Smith (220 att, 1420 yds, 66.4% comp perc (14th), 4 TDs / 6 Int, 79.0 QB rating (30th) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (1078 yds (12th), 126 tgts (12th), 80 rec (20th), 3 TDs, 13.5 YPC) |
| Rushing | 373 att (25th); 1508 yds; 4.0 Y/A; 100.5 Y/G (26th); 13 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Gibson (151 att (22nd), 720 yds (19th), 11 TDs, 4.8 Y/A (18th), long 40) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 47 / 29 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 29:15 / 19 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 39.05% / 25 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 55.56% / 23 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 5 (points) / 4 (total yards) / 4 (yards per game surrendered) / 4 (yards per play) / 3 (passing yards) / 4 (passing yards per att.) / 12 (rushing yards) / 12 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 315 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 310.5 |
| Opponent’s passing | 496 att (4th); 317 comp; 63.9% comp perc. (12th); 6.6 Y/A; 2970 net yds; 21 TDs; QB Rating 85.2 (3rd) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 399 att (15th); 1687 yds; 4.2 Y/A; 12 TDs; 112.5 Y/G (13th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 44 / 6 / Sweat (8.0) |
| Tackles leader | Bostic (110) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 14 / 10 / Fuller (4) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 37.62% / 7 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 52.5% / 3 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 20.8 Y/R (22nd), 30 returns, long 46 yards (19th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 5.4 Y/R (29th), 29 returns, long 22 yards (21st), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 26.1 Y/R (27th), 9 returns (2nd), 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 6.0 Y/R (7th), 32 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 48.4 Y/P (5th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 25 / 21 / -5 / 24
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 82 / 16
Eagles:
The Eagles offense has been mostly a bottom 10 operation this season, which isn’t surprising considering their win-loss record. They are 25th in points, with 320 scored, 22nd in total yards, 26th in yards per play, and 27th in passing yards. Their quarterbacking tandem of Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts have both been statistically bad. However, this is a running team, whether they want to be or not: they are ranked 9th in rushing yards and 2nd in rushing yards per attempt, thanks mostly to the combination of Hurts and running back Miles Sanders. The Eagles are mediocre in the red zone (ranked 14th) and bad on third downs (ranked 29th).
Statistically, Philadelphia’s defense is just as mediocre as their offense. They’ve given up 398 points, which is ranked 22nd in the league, and are ranked 21st in total yards, 20th in passing yards surrendered, and 24th in total rushing yards. However, the Eagles are slightly better on a “per run” basis, giving up and average of just 4.2 yards per attempt, which is ranked 12th in the NFL. The Eagles have 46 sacks this year, which is just 1 behind Washington and ranked 6th. They’ve also been good in third down defense, with a 37.76% conversion rate, which is ranked 8th.
Record: 4 – 9 – 1 (4th); Home: 3 – 3 – 1; NFC: 4 – 7; NFC East: 2 – 3)
All-time franchise record: 590 – 617 – 27
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
25 (points) / 22 (total yards) / 22 (yards per game) / 26 (yards per play) / 27 (passing yards) / 29 (passing yards per att.) / 9 (rushing yards) / 2 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 320 |
| Yards per game | 342.7 |
| Passing | 565 att (10th); 321 comp; 56.8% comp per. (31st); 6.4 Y/A; 3229 net yds; 22 TDs; 18 Int |
| Passing leader | Hurts (128 att, 989 yds, 54.7% comp per., 6 TDs / 3 Int, 85.7 QB rating (28th)); Wentz (437 att (19th), 2620 yds (23rd), 57.4% comp per. (35th), 16 TDs / 15 Int, 72.8 QB rating) |
| Reception leader | Goedert (524 yds (81st), 65 targets, 46 rec, 3 TDs, 11.4 Y/C); Fulgham (524 yds (81st), 65 targets, 37 rec, 4 TDs, 14.2 Y/C); Ward (413 yds, 76 targets (63rd), 52 rec (64th), 6 TDs, 7.9 Y/C); Jackson (236 yds, 26 targets, 14 rec, 1 TD, 16.9 Y/C (4th) |
| Rushing | 374 att (24th); 1909 yds; 5.1 Y/A; 127.3 Y/G (9th); 14 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Sanders (164 att (19th), 867 yds (15th), 6 TDs, 5.3 Y/A, long 82 yds); Hurts (55 att, 320 yds, 1 TD, 5.8 Y/A (3rd), long 24 yds) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 62 / 32 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 28:56 / 24 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 37.38% / 29 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 60.47% / 14 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 22 (points) / 21 (total yards) / 21 (yards per game surrendered) / 19 (yards per play) / 20 (passing yards) / 30 (passing yards per att.) / 24 (rushing yards) / 12 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 398 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 370.8 |
| Opponent’s passing | 498 att (5th); 342 comp; 68.7% comp per. (28th); 8.0 Y/A; 3653 net yds; 25 TDs; QB rating 104.2 (29th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 454 att (29th); 1909 yds; 4.2 Y/A; 20 TDs |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 46 / 5 / Graham (8.0) |
| Tackles leader | Singleton (106) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 6 / 31 / Singleton, Mills, McLeod, Slay, Riley, Epps (1) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 37.76% / 8 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 63.27% / 21 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 20.9 Y/R (20th), 31 returns, long 46 yards (19th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 9.6 Y/R (12th), 22 returns, long 73 yards (6th), 1 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 22.4 Y/R (18th), 25 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 6.2 Y/R (8th), 41 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punting | 45.9 Y/P (12th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 26 / 17 / -9 / 30
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 101 / 30
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com