Showdown in the NFC East

 

The Philadelphia Eagles opened up the season against the Washington Redskins and gave the NFL a taste of what was perceived to be Chip Kelly’s offensive machine in motion. Unfortunately, there has been some breakdown in the machine but, so far it has become apparent that the coach has grown with the team, leading them to Second place in the NFC East. As for the Washington Redskins, they have been waiting for RGIII to finally get healthy and it is apparent that time has finally arrived. In taking some pressure off him, Mike Shanahan has developed a running game that has been running on all cylinders with Alfred Morris and Pierre Garcon continues to pay dividends, showing he can definitely be a number one receiver in this league.

Whenever there is a battle in the NFC East, all records and streaks go out the window, shaping up for an all out war on the field. The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to win their third straight game, something they haven’t been able to do since 2011. Moreover, they have been unsuccessful at home by losing their last 10 games at Lincoln Financial Field, something that definitely needs to change. The defense has been playing well lately, but still has some holes, which is evident based on their rank of thirty two. They have been breathing new life into the words Bend but don’t break, as they have giving up an average of 417yds per game (31st), but have only allowed 10 touchdowns over the last 5 games.

The Redskins, on the other hand, are running the ball at will with Alfred Morris averaging 100plus yards a game. Offensively, they are ranked 5th in the league averaging 410 yards per game and have shown their big pay ability many times this year. On the heels of collapse, the defense has been nonexistent and giving up a horrid 388 yards per game. There are many holes in the defense, which is one of the reasons why they are 3-6.

On the way to week 11, let’s look at my three bold predictions for this week’s matchup:

1) LeSean McCoy will run wild like a cheetah in the wilderness.

LeSean McCoy has been a monster this year leading the Eagles rushing attack averaging 4.8 yards a carry and totaling 948 yards. His elusiveness has drawn comparisons to the great Barry Sanders, leaving spectators in awe of his ability and giving headaches to NFL defenses along the way. In week one against the Redskins he rushed for 184 yards and in this week’s matchup I have a hard time believing he will run into any issues facing the 18th ranked rushing defense, averaging just over 113 yards per game. It sure looks like we are in store for another vintage “Shady” McCoy performance worthy of NFL Prime Time.

 2) RGIII will have all day open air space, as he will throw for well over 300 yards.

The Philadelphia Eagles pass defense has been erratic all year and is the same defense that let the Washington Redskins pass for a total of 329 yards in week one. Obviously, that was 10 weeks ago, but the Eagles haven’t changed that much, as they are still giving up 306 passing yards a game, leading them to the 31st ranking defense in the NFL. Along with the defensive woes of the Eagles, is the health of RGIII himself. In week one he was still favoring his knee, but since has learned to trust its health and play his position with the electricity we all are accustomed to seeing.

 3) Redskins tight end Jordan Reed will cause major matchup problems for the Eagles defense.

Jordan Reed has developed into a great receiving tight end drawing many comparisons to guys like Tony Gonzalez and Aaron Hernandez. In this, his rookie year, he has developed qucikly, which was  enough for the Redskins to make their previous starting tight end Fred Davis, a healthy scratch from week to week. He will be open on the seam all day and will be the main focus of the red zone attack. The Eagles have shown vulnerability in covering the tight end in the past and having their main cover Linebacker, Mychal Kendricks nursing a bad knee, doesn’t bode well for them and their improvement.

I predict a high scoring affair, with many traded blows back and forth. This will be an exciting game, full of offense and very little defense. I predict the Eagles will win their first home game this year by a score of 31-24. IT will definitely be one of the more interesting games this year.

***As always, I appreciate any feedback given and any comments you choose to leave. Follow me on twitter @TCutillo23.

Related articles

• Redskins vs. Eagles 2013, Week 11: Live coverage, score updates & more (sbnation.com)
• NFC East: Why the Philadelphia Eagles Will Win the Division (bleacherreport.com)
• Redskins Defense continues to struggle (insidethetwentytwo.wordpress.com)