Your Eagles vs. Redskins Week 4 Preview

Would you look at that? I didn’t include any lyrics in last week’s preview and the Philadelphia Eagles won their first game of the season. That trend continues this week the Birds are set to take on the Washington Redskins this Sunday at 1:00 PM EST in FedEx Field…or possibly somewhere else. With Hurricane Joaquin quickly approaching, the NFL has been in constant dialogue with both teams regarding any potential changes to this week’s game.

Either way, it appears as though the Eagles and Redskins will definitely face-off somewhere this week. While the Redskins would obviously prefer to play this week’s game on their home-field, they likely don’t have a chance wherever the game is played. After an embarrassing loss to the New York Giants last week and suffering multiple injuries to key starters, Washington looks like a team on the decline while the Eagles are on the rise.

That being said, let’s get right into some storylines to watch for when the Eagles take on the Redskins at FedEx Field or wherever they may play!

Three Storylines To Watch For

1) Can Sam Bradford finally get it going?

If there was ever a week for Sam Bradford to get going, it’d be this one. Washington’s secondary is battered with injuries and the Eagles should be looking to take advantage of them. Bradford has looked atrocious for basically the entire season outside of the second half against the Atlanta Falcons. He continues to look out of sync with the team’s receivers and this is the week for Bradford to finally turn it around. If he can’t get it going against this awful secondary, it may be time for Chip Kelly to consider going in a different direction at the quarterback position…*cough* Thad Lewis! *cough*

2) Will DeSean Jackson actually play?

Playing against the Eagles twice a season is basically DeSean Jackson’s version of the Super Bowl. According to Britt McHenry of ESPN, Jackson told his teammates that he needs to be back for this week’s game. What if the Redskins were playing someone else, would he need to be back this week? Either way, Jackson is obviously a talented player that could give Byron Maxwell fits on the outside, especially if he doesn’t receive help from a safety. It’ll be interesting to see if Jackson takes the field against the Eagles this weekend.

DeSean Jackson didn't practice but teammate told me 1st thing he said in training room "man, I need to be back for this game" #skins #Eagles

— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) September 30, 2015

3) Can the running game continue to be effective?

During the first two games of the season, the Eagles struggled to run the ball. Then they exploded last week against one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, rushing for 150 yards. But will they be able to keep it up? Ryan Mathews and his aggressive style were a big reason why the Eagles had success running the ball in Week 3. Can DeMarco Murray return after a week off and play just as well as Mathews did against the Jets? We’ll likely find out against the Redskins.

Key Matchup To Watch For

Sam Bradford vs. Redskins’ Secondary

While this matchup likely won’t decide the winner of Sunday’s game, it certainly is important for the Eagles moving forward. This team won’t be able to be successful without a legitimate quarterback at the helm. Sam Bradford needs to step up and prove exactly why Chip Kelly traded for him. While we saw glimpses of potential during the preseason, that Sam Bradford has yet to show up during the regular season.

Sure, he’s made some impressive throws here and there but that’s it. Bradford has literally given us one or two good throws per game, that’s it. I don’t care what you say, that isn’t taking any team far in the NFL. You don’t win in this league without at least a good quarterback. Bradford has yet to even look “ok,” let’s not even begin to discuss “good.” If Bradford can’t get out of his slump this week against the Redskins, the Eagles won’t go very far this season.

Bettor’s Odds

According to OddsShark.com, the Philadelphia Eagles are 3 point favorites over the Washington Redskins on the road. Now this is typically the standard line for a home team but in this case, the Eagles are getting that treatment on the road. Also, the over/under is set at 43.5 points which may seem low for an Eagles’ game but considering the weather may be bad, that obviously impacts the amount of scoring we may see.

My Prediction

It’s looking as though the Redskins will likely be without their two starting cornerbacks and DeSean Jackson against the Eagles. That’s obviously a huge blow and there’s no way I can pick the Eagles to lose this game. Kirk Cousins has looked downright atrocious at times and the Eagles defense will likely force him into at least two turnovers. They’ve been on a tear this season and that will likely continue against Washington’s already struggling offense.

Final Score Prediction: Eagles 27, Redskins 13

That’s all for my Eagles vs. Redskins preview, be sure to check back here at PhillyInfluencer.com for all of the latest news regarding your beloved Birds and everything else happening in Philadelphia!