Nick Piccone
It’d be unfair to be surprised that the Eagles lost a game at this point. Nobody thought they were going to run the table. Nobody thought that Carson Wentz would never a throw an interception. Nobody thought that Ryan Mathews wasn’t going to fumble a football this season. What happened in Detroit on Sunday was inevitable and now that it’s out of the way, we can look ahead to a huge divisional battle this weekend.
Their NFC East opponents are none other than slowly surging Washington. The Skins are coming into this game riding a three-game win streak and their defense have caused seven turnovers in that span. They are starting to turn the corner at the right time and are now sitting third in the division at 3-2. The NFL Week 6 betting line lists the Eagles as a slight favorite at -2.5 against the Redskins on the road.
There are a lot of things working in the Eagles favor in this game. Starting back Ryan Mathews has had a few more days to heal up since tweaking his ankle in week three. Zach Ertz will also have a few more days to rest up since his return last week from a rib injury. On the other side of the ball, Kirk Cousins has thrown for under 450 yards through his last two games and also has two picks in that span. Meanwhile, running back Matt Jones is entering this contest coming off one of his worst performances of the year, mustering only 31 yards on 14 carries with a lost fumble.
The Eagles were just a few plays away from remaining undefeated in Detroit and are now behind Dallas in the NFC East thanks to their first loss. This will be a big game for the birds to keep some separation and momentum on their side. Win or lose, they’ll have another crack at their division rivals on December 11. The Redskins have a mean run going against the Eagles – Philly hasn’t beaten Washington since September 21, 2014.