Finally! We have reached the end of yet another disappointing season for Rex Grossman and the Washington Redskins! All that’s left is a meaningless game against Michael Vick and the probably, equally as disappointing Philadelphia Eagles.
After that, we head to the off-season where Redskins fans will hear nothing but positive talk of the future with Evan Royster, Roy Helu, and the late season play of Rex Grossman. But, unfortunately, every team is forced to play all 16 games. Possible scenarios of this game are that we win and people see it as hurting our draft pick. We lose, and we finish 5-11 for yet another awful season. Seems like a lose-lose situation to me.
What do you do if you’re Mike Shanahan? Play for pride or play for the draft? I, personally, would like to see the Redskins secure the Eagles’ losing record. So let’s see what they have to do to make that happen.
Offense
[caption id="attachment_717" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Containing Jason Babin (93) is an important task for the Redskins' offensive line."]
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Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Asante Samuel, and Nnamdi Asomugha make up one of the more intimidating secondaries in the league, even if they have underachieved this season. All of those cornerbacks are capable of making big plays. Not to mention Kurt Coleman, who had a monster game, picking off Grossman 3 times in the first meeting at FedEx Field.
The Redskins’ offense has been clicking as of late, looking efficient and scoring points. Rex Grossman is playing with more confidence than he ever has and Evan Royster is leading a ground game missing Helu who has been out with a knee/toe injury. He is coming off of a 132 yard performance against the Minnesota Vikings.
That being said, the Eagles’ defense has been rock solid against the run and during their three-game winning streak, the run defense has gotten progressively better. I can’t say I expect a big game from Royster or Helu (if he plays) so it will be up to Grossman again. He has been playing well, and his confidence is a reason I believe he is capable of having a big game.
But whether or not he plays well will ultimately fall of the offensive line. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive line featuring Jason Babin (18 sacks) and Trent Cole (10 sacks) is tops in the league in number of sacks. The Eagles are able to get pressure on quarterbacks and force them to make bad decisions.
The Redskins offensive line has not been too good since injuries started piling up. They need to keep Babin and Cole in check and give Grossman a chance to find open receivers so he does not end up literally throwing this game away.
Defense
If the Redskins are going to win this game, they are going to have to zero in on LeSean McCoy. He is having a big season for the Eagles, with 1,302 rushing yards which is second only to Maurice Jones-Drew. McCoy had 132 yards in the first meeting between these two teams.
[caption id="attachment_727" align="alignright" width="300" caption=" LeSeaon McCoy (25) had 132 yards on the ground last time these teams met."]
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The Redskins have lost three out of their last four games and in those three losses, the Redskins’ defense has given up an average of 140.3 rushing yards per game. They gave up three rushing touchdowns to Shonn Green and gave up 241 yards to the Minnesota Vikings, as well as another two rushing touchdowns.
The responsibility of keeping LeSean McCoy in check has to fall heavily on the Redskins’ front seven. London Fletcher, the league’s leading tackler, Brian Orakpo, and Ryan Kerrigan headline that front seven. They must not allow McCoy to get into the secondary and run for big gains.
Special Teams
[caption id="attachment_726" align="alignright" width="300" caption=" The Redskins are still waiting for the electric kick returner they saw last season in Brandon Banks."]
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Field position is going to be an important part of this game. Both the Redskins and Eagles have struggled when it comes to kick returns and punt returns. However, the Redskins have been great on kickoff and punt coverage, ranking 2nd and 6th in those categories respectively.
The Redskins winning the field position battle would give their defense an advantage by making Michael Vick and that potent Eagles offense work with a long field. In addition, with the way Rex Grossman has been playing as of late, a shorter field should allow the Redskins’ offense to rack up points, taking pressure off of their defense.
If Brandon Banks can have a few good returns to give the offense some help, and if the coverage units for the Redskins’ special teams can keep playing the way they have all season, the Redskins should win the field position battle and give themselves a major advantage in this game.
Prediction
The Redskins offense has been playing well but they continue to lose games. This is because the defense has been letting the team down, giving up 33, 34, and 34 points in their last three losses. Meanwhile, the Eagles have won their last three games by at least two possessions.
We have seen what the Redskins are capable of when the defense and offense both play well as seen in their win over the New York Giants, but that is a rare case. I have complete faith in the offense to score enough points to win, but I don’t know if the defense can keep up with the Eagles.
LeSean McCoy will have a 100+ yards rushing and Rex Grossman’s turnover streak is bound to continue so I’m saying Eagles pull it out 31-27. The Redskins finish 5-11, the Eagles 8-8, and we can head into the offseason and start preparing for the draft.
I wonder how that will go now that Matt Barkley is returning to USC. Did you hear the Redskins may try to trade for the number one pick?
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