Eagles (1-2) at Washington (1-2)
1 p.m. on FOX
Eagles favored by 3
The Eagles make the trip to Landover, Maryland, for an all-important divisional matchup against Washington. As the Eagles attempt to make up ground in the NFC East, every win is important, but doubly so when the opponent is poised to pull ahead in the standings.
Simply put, the Eagles can’t afford to fall to 1-3 this weekend and have both Washington and the Cowboys looking down on them. Here are the rest of the major storylines as they attempt to get back to .500 on Sunday:
1. Revenge Game
The last time the Eagles visited Washington, their season was effectively ended at the hands of an NFC East rival. Think they might be looking for a little payback?
Week 16 did not go as planned, as a Washington team that would finish 2014 with a 4-12 record went on to defeat the Eagles, 27-24. It was their third straight loss and eliminated them from playoff contention. It was an ugly, sloppy game that saw Mark Sanchez attempt 50 passes, commit two turnovers and the team as a whole was called for 13 penalties. Even then, they could’ve won, but Cody Parkey missed field goals of 34 and 46 yards on consecutive possessions.
Players generally don’t need extra motivation against division opponents, and truth be told, a lot of the guys in the starting lineup weren’t even here for the last meeting. However, this is one you have to think the players who were retained, not to mention Chip Kelly and his coaching staff, are eager to erase the stink of.
2. No DeSean
One of the players who helped Washington pick up that win and has generally been a thorn in the Eagles’ side won’t be playing Sunday. DeSean Jackson (hamstring) is officially ruled out for the contest, which means the former Birds wide receiver won’t have a chance to show off that enormous chip on his shoulder.
NFL
The story is nothing new. Jackson clashed with Kelly and the head coach’s views on locker room culture, and was released coming off of a career year — 82 receptions, 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns in 2013.
Jackson made the Eagles pay in two games last season. In the Week 16 win, the three-time Pro Bowler hauled in four passes for 126 yards. He also helped keep his team in a close Week 3 loss, pulling down five balls for 117 yards — including an 81-yard bomb that temporarily knotted the score late in the third quarter.
Unfortunately for Jackson, he's played just one snap in 2015 because of the hamstring injury. No doubt, he’s upset about missing this game in particular, as he likely still feels slighted by Kelly and the Eagles.
3. Offense still a work in progress
There are a lot of people probably thinking the Eagles could use a DeSean Jackson right about now. The offense has looked shaky at best, and one of the main complaints has been Sam Bradford’s inability or unwillingness to push the ball deep.
One thing that could help open up the aerial attack is more success on the ground. Kelly has insisted all along the offense’s lack of production on the ground is resulting in defenses keeping their safeties back and forcing throws underneath, and there is definitely some truth to that. The Eagles finally got something going running the ball last week, but face another stiff test against Washington’s front seven.
Of course, receivers are dropping passes left and right, too, which hasn’t helped matters. It wasn’t a deep pass per se, but if Darren Sproles catches a perfectly placed wheel route last week against the Jets, it’s a 78-yard touchdown. Momentum-changing plays like that can open up the field as well.
Perhaps most of all, Bradford simply needs to be better. There have also been numerous times where there were opportunities downfield, and he simply misfired. He deserves a little bit of a break, having missed most of the last two seasons with injury, playing in a new system. However, the longer the season progresses, the more difficult it becomes to make excuses for the offensive struggles.
4. Here’s the kicker
There’s no denying Sproles’ 89-yard punt return last week gave the Eagles the spark they needed in their victory over the Jets. Nor is there any avoiding the fact that Parkey’s two missed field goals in Week 16 cost his team the game.
Special teams plays quite often can be the difference between winning and losing, and Kelly has invested so much in this area. However, kicker continues to be an issue, as Parkey landed on injured reserve this week, and Miami Dolphins castoff Caleb Sturgis was signed to take over the duties.
So if the Eagles need to kick a 44-yard field goal to take the lead in the fourth quarter, like the one Parkey missed in Week 1, will Sturgis nail it or buckle under the pressure? Obviously, there’s a reason the 2013 fifth-round draft pick found himself on the street after two years. So to answer the question, who knows?
All we know is an Eagles victory could come down the foot of a guy whose made 77.5 percent of the field goal tries for his career. For all of Kelly’s preaching about special teams, it appears as if the adventure might continue in this department.
5. Weather
At one point, there was so much concern over the potential effects of Hurricane Joaquin, there was talk that this game wouldn’t be played on time, or it could even be moved to another location. Fortunately, nothing that extreme came to pass, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the weather won't have an impact Sunday.
There is still a chance some light rain will linger in the area through the weekend, and while the field should be covered prior to kickoff, you have to wonder if the grass will be damp anyway. While people tend to think of running the football in an inclement weather, a wet surface actually favors the passing game, as it becomes difficult for defenders to adjust to receivers’ routes.
Of course, there is expected to be a bit of a breeze as well, which can play hell on the ball once a pass is in the air, but the forecast doesn’t seem too major. Overall, this game could be setting up nicely for quarterbacks Bradford and Kirk Cousins to sling the ball all over FedEx Field.