Nick Piccone
The Eagles head to DC for their second straight road game to take on their division rival Washington Redskins at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday afternoon. The Birds will hopefully get a big win and head into a home game against the Minnesota Vikings with a lot of momentum.
Here are our predictions:
Tyler Trumbauer: The Eagles came back down to earth after last week’s 24-23 loss to the Detroit Lions, removing them from the undefeated ranks. With the hardest remaining schedule in the NFL, based on opponents’ win-loss record, the Eagles enter a rough stretch of games against the Redskins, Vikings and Cowboys the next three weeks.
Kirk Cousins hasn’t lived up to his 2015 season quite yet and with tight end Jordan Reed possibly out with a concussion, it looks as though the Eagles are getting the streaking Redskins at the right time. Rookie head coach Doug Pederson and rookie quarterback Carson Wentz experienced their first tight game last week and didn’t leave with the victory. I think this is another close one, but the Eagles bounce back from the loss, which will motivate the team moving forward.
Eagles 27-24.
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Ray Hagan: When you look at the two rosters, it’s clear that the Redskins have the “star power” edge. Jordan Reed is a top five tight end, DeSean Jackson, who hasn’t performed up to par like he did in midnight green, is still what you can consider a “star” NFL receiver. Josh Norman is one of the top cornerbacks in the league. The Eagles don’t have guys like that. They do have Fletcher Cox, who is roundly considered one of the best defensive players in the league, but after that, who is really a star player? Wentz might be on his way to stardom, but it’s a little early to assume as such. The receiving corps surely doesn’t have a star. Zach Ertz might be close, but he hasn’t been consistent enough to be the star that he’s being paid to be.
What separates these two teams aren’t the stars, though. What separates them is the production. The Eagles are significantly better on both sides of the ball despite not having the “stars.” The Birds hit the road this weekend, but I don’t think that’s going to be a huge issue. I think the Eagles win this one handily.
Eagles 35-21.
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Tony Cutillo: After last week’s crushing loss, the Birds face a familiar foe to get back on the winning track. No matter what the records say, when the Birds meet the Redskins, fireworks always seem to explode.
The rivalry stems as far back as 1934 with Washington leading the all-time series 84-74–6. The two teams have split the last six games, but Washington has taken control of the last three. Now, it’s time for the Eagles to take over. Carson Wentz will leave the fans at FedExField with a glimpse of what a real quarterback looks like. Kirk Cousins may have a nice touch, but his testicular fortitude always has been in question. This is one thing that definitely doesn’t exist in Carson City.
I think this will be the weekend where Zach Ertz comes alive and shows he can start to be talked about in the same conversation as Jordan Reed. I am predicting an Eagles win and a line of 8/100/1 TD for Mr. Ertz.
Eagles 31-17.
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Dave Uram: For some reason, I get the sense Eagles-Redskins games are always considered easier than they really are, despite the fact Washington has won the last three. Two of them were in Landover, Maryland, where the game Sunday takes place. If Jordan Reed doesn’t play, that’s a big plus for the Birds, but there’s more that worries me. I don’t feel good about the Redskins’ pass attack against the Eagles’ corners or the Birds’ wide receivers against Josh Norman. Not to mention, Halapoulivaati Vaitai needs to prove himself in games, which he hasn’t been active for yet. So, for the fifth week in a row I’m picking against the Eagles.
Redskins 27-26.
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Adrian Fedkiw: The Eagles have to get their running game going against the Redskins, whose 5.1 yards per carry allowed is the worst mark in the NFL. I’m also looking for Zach Ertz to have another big game against Washington and attack the seams against that Cover 3 defense. Doug Pederson is going to have to help out Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who is going up against Ryan Kerrigan. Whether it’s chipping with the tight ends or double-teaming, Vaitai can’t match up one-on-one against Kerrigan and expect to succeed. Another key will be in the trenches and the Eagles’ defensive line sustaining pressure against one of the top pass blocking offensive lines in the NFL. If Kirk Cousins gets a lot of time to throw, I believe he can pick Philadelphia apart like he has been. Jordan Reed not playing would be a huge loss for the Redskins. Coming off a tough loss in Detroit, I see the Eagles bouncing back.
Eagles 23-20.
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Nick Piccone: The only reason my prediction last week didn’t come true was because of Ryan Mathews. Of course, the Eagles struggled mightily in Detroit, but Carson Wentz showed he’s absolutely capable of orchestrating a game-winning drive during crunch time. He also made a mistake he’s hopefully learned from and won’t do much of, if at all, in the future.
Washington has rolled into three straight wins after starting the season 0-2, but I don’t think they’re as good as they’re letting on. They beat the Giants, Browns and Ravens, who are way below what I thought they’d be this season so far. Of course, we could say the same about the Eagles and their schedule. But the Eagles’ D is much improved and with Wentz behind center, I think the Birds finally win their first game in two years against Washington.
Eagles 27-23.
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Sean Brace: Here’s the first of six division games for the Eagles. Let’s focus on the Redskins first. Good squad, not great. Kurt Cousins is Mr. Underneath and will pick apart the Eagles linebackers all game long. Good news for the Birds is that Jordan Reed may miss the game. On the flip side, I feel like Doug Pederson will try and get all four running backs involved and should have success. Washington struggles against the run. Evenly matched game in my mind. The Eagles lose a close one.
Redskins 24-20.
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And there you have it. What’s your prediction for the game? Comment below or share with us on social media.