It’s Christmas Eve and Redskins fans everywhere are hoping that Santa saves an extra gift for them to open the day after Christmas. The Redskins are in a “win and in” scenario, and can end the Eagles season once again on Saturday. I think Desean Jackson agrees with me that Chip Kelly and his crew have been on the naughty list. Jackson and the Redskins are coming to town and ready to spread some Christmas spirit.
Tis the season to be jolly…hopefully in 48 hrs tis the season to hail.
Alright, alright…enough of my cheesy Christmas one liners. Lets take a look at this week’s keys to the game and what has to happen for the Redskins to be crowned 2015 NFC East champs on Saturday.
Get the ball into DJax ‘s hands
Last week against the Buffalo Bills, Desean Jackson was on fire and reminded everyone why he was brought to Washington to begin with. Jackson is the biggest deep threat in the NFL and has the best breakaway speed of any player in the league. He has the ability to kick it into another gear once the ball is in his hands and after that good luck catching him.
Kirk Cousins and Jackson have not been able to establish a solid relationship this season (or training camp) due to DJax’s injury, but it’s clear things are finally clicking. Cousins is playing more aggressive and taking shots downfield. Jackson is one of the best weapons in the league when used properly. Also, consider the fact that the entire Eagles secondary is hurt and it looks like former Redskins CB, EJ Biggers will have the task of covering Jackson.
This game could have quite the fairy tale ending if Jackson is able to come to Philly and get some nice revenge on his former team, while in the process winning the division and heading to the playoffs.
Sean McVay and the offense picking up momentum
Cousins was mic’d up during last week’s game and was heard talking to Sean McVay on the sideline and how he wanted to stay aggressive. McVay’s response was “This is what we did last week too. I’m going to keep doing that, dude. I’m learning too! I’m learning.” This quote was very telling and also reminds us how young McVay is. He is only 29 years old and older than Cousins by only 2 years! McVay doesn’t get enough credit for the progression that he has shown this season as an Offensive Coordinator. This offense is figuring things out and starting to get into a serious groove. Remember that this team has gone through many injuries, and hasn’t fully found an identity. Cousins wasn’t named the starter until just prior to week 1 of the season. He didn’t have the opportunity to establish relationships early on. That experience and time is extremely valuable. With McVay and Cousins being on the same page and players like DJax being healthy, the offense has a very bright future ahead.
In this game, it will be important that Cousins plays aggressive and goes full throttle all game. I expect McVay to continue the trend of staying aggressive and taking shots downfield. This offense has weapons, and I expect this team to put that on display in Philly.
Don’t beat yourself
The Eagles biggest win of the season came against the New England Patriots, and in that game many people could tell you that the Patriots lost that game more than the Eagles won it. The Patriots gave us scores to the Eagles defense and Special Teams and did everything in their power to give the game away. The Redskins can’t afford to shoot themselves in the foot in this game. The Redskins have been better lately but need to play smart and keep the penalties intact. The Redskins also need to be very aware of where Darren Sproles is at all times. He is a guy that could easily change the game by his return ability. I personally would not hold it against the Redskins if they played it safe and punted out of bounds just to assure that Sproles doesn’t break a big one. Sproles is this team’s X-Factor and the player on this roster that I have circled and want to keep an eye on wherever he is at.
Don’t beat yourself by giving up that one big play that could change everything.
Ryan Kerrigan VS Jason Peters
Earlier this week Jason Peters was named to the Pro Bowl and Ryan Kerrigan was selected as a first alternate. Peters is a very solid OT but has struggled many times this season. Many questioned if Peters was worthy of the Pro Bowl selection he received. Regardless, he will be put to the test this game as him and Kerrigan will meet. I expect Joe Barry to move Kerrigan around a bit and use some different position techniques, but this matchup could be one of the biggest keys to the game. If Kerrigan is able to rattle Sam Bradford, that could be one of the biggest differences in the game.
Containing the Eagles pass rush
The Redskins OL has a tough task this week against a blitz happy Eagles defense. I fully expect the Eagles to bring in different blitz packages and try to confuse the line. The Skins OL has allowed only 24 sacks all season, which is the 6th lowest in the league.
Trent Williams has proven he’s the best Left Tackle in the game and has only given up 1 sack all season that was completely on him. He was also selected to his 4th straight Pro Bowl this week. Fletcher Cox guaranteed a victory this week, but his focus should be on getting past #71. The last time these two teams played, Cox was shut down. The Eagles defense recorded 1 sack in that game.
PROS
#1: Win and you’re in. This team has been one of the biggest surprises in the league this season, surprising many people including their own fans. This season was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but Scot McCloughan and crew had other ideas.
#2: Kirk Cousins is coming off a game on the road in which he scored 5 total TDs. I think we can all agree “we like that” and hope to see Cousins continue to show he’s the future of this team.
#3: Offensive weapons. You can’t talk about the Redskins and not talk about Jordan Reed this season. The guy is an absolute stud and has shown he can take games over. This team has many weapons on offense and will look to dish the ball around.
CONS
#1: As I mentioned earlier, Darren Sproles. Punting to this guy is a scary thought…don’t let us down Tress Way!
#2: Big play possibility. One thing the Redskins have struggled with is giving up those home run plays. Last time these two teams met Sam Bradford connected on some deep passes. The threat is always there, and the Redskins defense will need to play tough.
#3: Primetime game and on the road. Neither thing has been kind to the Redskins this season, but with the spotlight on this game and the playoffs on the line, that could very well change.
Washington Redskins vs Philadelphia Eagles is this Saturday at 8:25 PM EST on NFL Network and CBS
As always follow me on Twitter @anthonyraposa for all things Redskins as well as your news and outlook.
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