What Will Lead to a WFT Victory Over the Eagles?
The Washington Football team starts off its 2020 campaign against the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday. Washington has had its fair share of failures in the NFC East division. For one, Washington has not beaten the Eagles since the 2016 season, and two, they have not won against an NFC East opponent since October of 2018.
Winning week one is always huge, and for Washington, who has consistently had poor starts to the season, in addition to not beating a divisional opponent in two years, beating the Eagles is a very significant accomplishment for the Team.
Here are five key matchups for Washington that will determine a win versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
5. Steven Sims Jr. vs. Slot CB Nickell Robey-Coleman
Steven Sims Jr. will have many opportunities to take over the game in the air for Washington on Sunday. First-year Eagle Darius Slay, who went to war against receiver Terry McLaurin last year when while he was with the Detroit Lions, will likely be traveling with McLaurin throughout the game. Even though Terry is good enough to win some reps against Slay, another receiver must step up and make things easier for Haskins'.
4. Washington Offensive Coordinator Scott Turner vs. Philadelphia D.C. Jim Schwartz
No matter how banged up the Eagles secondary always appears throughout the season, Eagles DC Jim Schwartz's communication and ability to coach have still overcome its deficiencies. That is an excellent testament to how valuable of a coach Schwartz is for not just the Eagles, but many other teams if he were to be on the market.
Schwartz is entering his first season without veterans Malcolm Jenkins, his safety, and Nigel Bradham, his linebacker. Both of whom are now in New Orleans. Nevertheless, do expect Scott Turner to have his hands full week one. Schwartz will always be a strength for the Eagles with their defensive line and his incredible ability to adjust throughout a game.
For Turner, the key for success will be in his ability to mitigate the Eagles pass-rush and keeping Washington ahead of the sticks on third down.
3. Geron Christian vs. Derek Barnett & Brandon Graham
Geron Christian's first matchup as the starting left tackle will be a tough one. The Eagles bread and butter are centered around creating pressure and stopping the run. Christian will likely start the game without help on the left side as coaches hope he will stand his ground without impacting the original game plan. However, if things increasingly become concerning for Christian, the passing game may become a detriment to the Haskins' ability to read the field effectively.
2. Dwayne Haskins vs. Linebacker T.J. Edwards & Safety Rodney McLeod
T.J. Edwards is a second-year pro coming off a season where he started four games and had 30 combined tackles. Rodney McLeod is the experienced safety, and will be looking to fill the void that Malcolm Jenkins created when Philadelphia did not re-sign him. Both Mills and McLeod are inexperienced in their own way, and McLeod, from a leadership perspective. There are concerns from the Philadelphia local media that McLeod may be on the decline too, which adds to their struggling secondary woes. Last year, the Eagles defense allowed seven passing touchdowns of 50 yards or more, twice as many as the rest of the league. In turn, Haskins must consistently apply pressure on the Eagles vulnerable secondary and force Schwartz to respond schematically.
1. Chase Young vs. Jason Peters
Chase Young is the going to be the game-changer for this Washington team. Jason Peters, who initially re-signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the summer to play left guard, is now back at left tackle. Though he is 38 years old, Peters is a solid veteran tackle. The Eagles have gone undefeated versus Washington in division play the last three years, and quite frankly, Wentz has dominated in the five games he played. His elusiveness is already at a top tier level; add in a week against Washington, and his skillset becomes elite. Chase Young is supposed to erase all of those issues; he was the "1A" pass-rusher that Washington needed for some time. This matchup will be most critical in not only minimizing Wentz's efficiency but also determining a win on Sunday, which would be a first against the Eagles in four years.
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Jamual Forrest has been a freelance sports journalist for four years, covering the Washington Football Team and can be heard as a co-host on The Hog Sty Network's "The Hog Sty" podcast. Additionally, Jamual contributes to The Hog Sty Network and SB Nation's Hogs Haven. You can follow Jamual on Twitter at @LetMualTellit and see his Washington Football Team film breakdowns here.
