How the Redskins Beat the Eagles
By Woleola Akinso
Sunday, September 8th at 1 p.m. EDT, the
Washington Redskins travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. According to
Vegas, the Redskins are 10-point underdogs.
It seems that the Redskins, to quote WWE CEO Vincent Kennedy McMahon, “have
no chance in hell.” Yet, there is always
a chance for victory. It’s all about
having the correct game plan.
The Eagles are a talented football team. Offensively, they have players like
quarterback Carson Wentz, wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson, and
all pro tight end Zach Ertz. The Redskins defense will have to be special to
contain this offense, which they do. The defense must put pressure on the
Wentz. A way to do that is for the
interior defensive to get pressure on the quarterback. 3-4 defensive linemen, Jonathan Allen, Daron
Payne and Matt Ioannidis combined for 20.5 sacks last season. It’s essential for the trio to own the Eagles
offensive line. Last season, in two
games against the Eagles’ center Jason Kelce and the rest of their interior offensive
line, the trio registered zero sacks.
That will not cut it Sunday. Allen,
Payne, and Ioannidis must dominate this game. The less time Wentz has in the
pocket, the better their chances are to avoid explosive plays by players like
Jackson and Ertz. In 12 games against the
Redskins, Jackson has had 37 catches for 639 yards with five touchdowns. Also, in 12 games against the Redskins, Ertz
had 71 receptions for 718 yards with one touchdown. The trio can’t allow Wentz to extend plays to
find these Redskins killers. They will
also need help from their outside linebackers to bottle up Wentz in the pocket.
Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan is second all-time among
Redskins sack leaders with 84.5 sacks. He
will have to put that on display against one of the best tackle tandems in
football—in Jason Peters and Lane Johnson. This will be a challenge for Kerrigan. Last year against the Eagles, Kerrigan only
recorded a sack in two games. He will
have to do better against the nine-time pro bowler Peters, or the two-time pro
bowler Johnson. Yet, Johnson isn’t
looking forward to Kerrigan’s relentless pressure. "It
sucks," Johnson told reporters in Philadelphia. He added "[Kerrigan is] just a guy that's
relentless. He doesn't stop and that's the mentality I'm going against.” Providing outside pressure doesn’t only fall
on Kerrigan.
In April, the Redskins drafted edge rusher Montez Sweat with
the 26th pick overall for games like this. The team needed a fast and strong edge rusher
to provide fear to opposing offensive tackles. The rookie out of Mississippi State University
could be a match up nightmare for Peters or Johnson, especially Peters. At 36, Peters has dealt with several leg
injuries—from rupturing his Achilles tendon and tearing his ACL. This is an example of survival of the fittest;
Peters could be fresh meat for a young lion like Sweat. Sweat’s speed could be too much for the aging
Peters. If that match up happens on
passing downs combined with the possible inside push of Allen, Payne and
Ioannidis, then the Redskins could put Wentz in uncomfortable situations—
creating sacks, fumbles and interceptions.
The Redskins can shock the world if their edge rushers and the interior
defensive lineman win the battle of the line of scrimmage. Not only will they have to come up with a
strong defensive performance, but their offensive game plan must be methodical.
In the glory days, under hall of fame coach Joe Gibbs, the
Redskins ran the football and controlled the time of possession. That is the game plan that this team should
implore Sunday. If it worked for a
three-time Superbowl winning coach, then it should work for current Redskins
head coach Jay Gruden. Coach Gibbs in
1991 (Superbowl winning year) utilized three running backs—Earnest Byner, Ricky
Ervins, and Gerald Riggs. Byner ran for
1,048 yards, Ervins for 680 yards, and Riggs for 248 yards with 11 rushing
TDs. The current Redskins have three
studs at running back with Derrius Guice, future hall of famer Adrian Peterson,
and Chris Thompson. Guice, who missed all
last season with a torn ACL, has looked healthy and doesn’t look bothered by the
knee. Coach Gruden named Guice the
starter and is ready to give him the “motherload” share of carries. It’s a luxury to have a hall of famer as a
backup. It’s important for the Redskins
running game to ware down the Eagles defensive line. While Guice is resting, Peterson allows the
Redskins to continue to put pressure on the Eagles defense. Last season in Philadelphia, as the starting
running back, Peterson ripped off a 90- yard touchdown run. Don’t’ forget in that same season, when many
thought he was done, Peterson ran for 1,042 yards and was named the team’s
offensive player of the year. If Guice gets the “motherload of carries” then
Peterson should get 10-15 carries. It
would be beneficial for this team to utilize him Sunday. This is a similar formula, which Gibbs used
to win games. In 1991, the Redskins lead
the NFL in rushing attempts. Now, it’s a
different NFL, but when a team doesn’t have an elite quarterback or any known
commodities at wide receiver then they must play to their strength. The running backs on the roster, should keep
the Redskins competitive Sunday.
Thompson, the swiss army knife of the running backfield,
should get five or more carries and multiple passes out of the backfield. Thompson gives the Redskins an advantage over
the Eagles linebackers on passing plays.
Gruden and offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell should find ways to
isolate Thompson on linebackers Zach Brown, Nigel Bradham, and Nate Gerry. Thompson is a real threat to move the chains
on the ground and in the passing game.
It’s important for the running game to lead the way. This can open-up the passing game and make
play action a serious threat. Gruden
must be stubborn to run the football and shorten the game. If he can do that, the team has a good chance
to upset the 2017-18 Super Bowl champs.
Most importantly, this will have to be won in the trenches. The most physical team will win this
game. The Redskins defensive line must
play like wild fiery animals— and the running backs must have a tapeworm
mentality (they must eat up the Eagles Defense). Referring to his team’s overall makeup
Gruden said, "if we have to win 17-13, we'll win 17-13 with a great
defense." For the team to win on
Sunday, the running game and the defensive line must dominate.
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