In his last 3 starts against the Eagles, Redskins QB Kirk Cousins has killed us. I guess you noticed too that Cousins has completed 66 percent of his throws with eight touchdowns to just one interception for a 105.1 quarterback rating combined in his last three starts against the Eagles.
What this tells me is a few things—although we are in a different defensive scheme this time around, the potential passing game of Captain Kirk is still our biggest threat to overcome. Sure, it will be great when the Eagles front 7 stops the run on defense. But when they do, they give Cousins a license to kill through the airwaves.
“The Eagles are currently ranked sixth in the league in overall pass defense, but their defensive weakness is, without a doubt, in the secondary. Last week against the Lions, the team limited their opponent’s passing yards to 180, but they allowed three passing touchdowns. Two came off red zone passes to Theo Riddick, while one came in the red zone to Marvin Jones. Essentially, the cornerbacks have mediocre coverage skills.Leodis McKelvin and Nolan Carroll are decent players, but they are nothing special.”—Jacob Camenker, RiggosRag.com
The Redskins passing attack has looked good as of late after having some issues to start the season. Kirk Cousins is beginning to look like a productive starting quarterback once again, as he appears to have fixed some of the accuracy issues that plagued him at the beginning of the year. He has still been guilty of some poor throws, like last week’s interception against the Ravens, but he definitely has been better.
“The Redskins are going to have to take advantage of the passing game in order to have success on Sunday afternoon. DeSean Jackson should relish a chance to go up against his former team, while Pierre Garcon could have another solid day if matched up against McKelvin. Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed will continue to be dynamic weapons as well. So long as Cousins has enough time to throw the ball on Sunday, he should be able to lead the unit to success. If he does not, it will be a long day for the Redskins.”—Jacob Camenker
It’s up to the Eagles pass rush to make it a very long day for Kirk Cousins.
It’s still no given that the Eagles will stop the Redskins running game—but the probability is there. And yet the Redskins are holding some wild card candidates close to the vest:
“Last week, Matt Jones ran for only 31 yards on 14 carries. I would expect him to struggle once again this week. The Eagles are ranked second in the NFL in rushing defense, and it is because they have a ferocious front seven. Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan will help to clog running lanes up front, and Cox should be able to break into the backfield on multiple occasions. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has had success in the past with his defensive schemes, so he should be able to contain the Washington ground attack.”
“If Jones cannot get going, that means that we may see some more of Robert Kelley. Jay Gruden hinted that the rookie may get more carries following the Ravens game, and this week may be the time to do it. The Eagles do not have a lot of tape on Kelley, so it will be hard for them to game plan for him. If he gets some carries, expect him to have a bit more success than Jones will.”
“Realistically, Chris Thompson is going to be the running back to watch in this contest. The Eagles are likely going to be able to render the Redskins one-dimensional. If that happens, they will need their best pass catching back on the field. Thompson qualifies as such, and he could see an expanded role. He might even end up seeing more carries than Jones when the day is done.”— Jacob Camenker
Here’s an excerpt from John Keim’s article on the Redskins players most likely to impact the Eagles game for better or worse on Sunday. (Keim is the Redskins regular reporter for ESPN.com.)…
QB Kirk Cousins: “He’s been inconsistent and the offense has followed suit. Sometimes, Cousins makes a beautiful play, whether for a touchdown or a big pass downfield, hanging in against the blitz. Other times, he causes some head scratching with missed throws or ugly interceptions. Cousins has thrown seven touchdowns this season, but also five interceptions and has missed some throws he made a year ago. However, in the Redskins’ current three-game winning streak he’s thrown six touchdowns to two interceptions. He’s under intense scrutiny in Washington, but even the coaches say he can be more consistent (and Cousins would agree). In three starts vs. the Eagles, he’s thrown eight touchdowns to one interception.”
RB Matt Jones: “It’s hard to know what to make of him. He changes from half to half and game to game. The key: How decisive is he running? When Jones hits the hole hard, he has the quickness and size at 232 pounds to do well. But he gets in trouble when he hesitates, causing him to lose any sort of forward momentum and, therefore, a chance at more yards after contact. He followed up a 117-yard effort vs. Cleveland in Week 4 with a 31-yard showing vs. Baltimore in Week 5.”
WR DeSean Jackson: “In three games vs. his former team, Jackson has caught a combined 13 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown. But he’s been quiet lately, with a combined four catches for 40 yards the past two weeks (he did draw another 71 yards in penalties, however). Jackson can still beat anyone down the field, but he’s also dangerous on any sort of crossing route. The Redskins will use him on bubble screens, where he’s not as effective.”
CB Josh Norman: “The Redskins made him the NFL’s highest-paid corner and he’s been a very good addition. Norman isn’t perfect, but he embraces competition and does a particularly excellent job in zone coverage. The Redskins have used him on the opposition’s best receiver in a couple games, but won’t always do so. Norman has intercepted one pass this season. He’s also playing with a sprained wrist — he injured it in the opener but aggravated it this past Sunday.”
LB Trent Murphy: “Usually, the talk with linebackers in Washington surrounds Ryan Kerrigan. But Murphy has been a pleasant surprise and leads the team with 4.5 sacks. He’s not a speed demon, but he is strong and he increased his flexibility through yoga this offseason. It shows, as Murphy is better at turning the corner and staying balanced. Kerrigan remains an effective player, but Murphy has been the Redskins’ best pass-rusher so far. He also shares the team lead with four tackles for a loss.”
DE Chris Baker: “The Redskins’ defensive line has had some issues, some of which aren’t their doing — undersized players have been forced to play nose because of injuries and the fact that the Redskins just don’t have anyone big. In fact, Temple’s Matt Ioannidis, a fifth-round pick in the spring, will continue to see more time at nose after playing 28 snaps there Sunday. But Baker has been their most effective lineman. He’s capable of winning one-on-ones and collapsing the pocket.”
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