Week 1 Preview: Uncertainty Awaits in Washington

PHILADELPHIA - The pandemic is small potatoes in Washington where the newly-minted Washington Football Team has undergone a forced name change, ugly organizational accusations from a series of investigative reports from the Washington Post, and had its new head coach Ron Rivera diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma.

Masks and social distancing seem small next to that kind of controversy and actually playing football will likely serve as a welcome distraction for the embattled franchise.

Week 1 has the Eagles visiting a fan-less FedEx Field, the site of a Week 15, 37-27 win last season that was closer than the scoreboard indicated.

Typically, a road team heading into an environment with no fans would be an advantage, but in recent seasons as Washington has struggled mightily, Philadelphia fans would make the short trek down I-95 and take over the stadium.

Philadelphia has dominated the WFT in the Doug Pederson era, winning six straight overall. Quarterback Carson Wentz has won five consecutive against Washington as a starter, throwing for 14 touchdowns vs. three interceptions in those games.

Here's a closer look at what to expect in Landover, Md:

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Scott Turner is the offensive coordinator in Washington, the son of long-time NFL coach Norv Turner, and many of his concepts can be traced back to his father with a little new-age stuff sprinkled in.

Norv is big on play-action and getting the football down the field and with the speedy Terry McLaurin being the WFT's top returning playmaker and the strong-armed Dwayne Haskins at the controls that will remain a goal under Scott Turner.

McLaurin, of course, gouged the Eagles' secondary as a rookie in both games last season and Haskins was in play for the second game at FedExField which Greg Ward salvaged with his first NFL touchdown.

"That game last year was just me getting my feet, I would say, damp, not even wet," said Haskins. "Just me figuring out how to play from the get-go — which I played like from the beginning of the season. Just not forcing the ball out on the field, knowing when on a certain four to take the 4-yard completion even if it’s not passing chains.

"For me to be able to make plays with my feet, calling plays in and out of the huddle, just the whole game was just my first game when I felt confident out there. I’m trying to build on those last two games of the season where like it wasn’t easy but felt a lot more comfortable, way smoother."

The younger Turner is also expected to mix in more modern concepts when it comes to getting playmakers in space especially with running backs J.D. McKissic, and rookie Antonio Gibson as well as receiver Steven Sims.

“It’s going to be interesting to see because you can read the reports and they say what they’re going to do," said Turner when discussing the Eagles earlier this week. "Apparently, they’ve moved some guys around. We’re preparing for a couple of different scenarios because you’re not really sure until you get out there.

"... (Eagles defensive coordinator Jim) Schwartz does a great job of giving you different looks and not letting you zone in on what he’s doing. We talked to our guys about playing fast, bringing the fight to them, and making them cover us, making them defend us."

Eagles safety Jalen Mills believes getting a feel for Haskins late last season may help.

"It’s not like we’re going into a game and he’s a rookie quarterback. We have played against him," said Mills. "We do have tape on him from last year, so knowing that you can kinda tell what throws he can make, what throws he doesn’t like to make. Certain coverages, whether it’s man or zone.

"That’s kind of how, when they do throw certain wrinkles at us and we are in certain coverages, we have to key in on those types of things."

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: With Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio on hand, two of the more recent accomplished defensive minds, the mentality in Washington shifts to a 4-3 attacking front intent on taking advantage of a defensive line that has five different first-round picks with Chase Young, the No. 2 overall pick back in April, being counted on as the Nick Bosa-like final piece that could turn the WFT's front into the deepest and most effective in the entire NFL.

That's a somewhat daunting situation for a banged-up Eagles' offensive line, already without Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Brooks (torn Achilles') and projected left tackle Andre Dillard (torn biceps). Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson is also iffy for Sunday coming off ankle surgery.

“Which tackle he goes up against, we’ll see," said Del Rio said when asked about where Young will line up. "We like Chase, think he’s a good player and excited to see him play. We’re not asking anything more from him than we are anyone else on the defense.”

STRENGTH: Young joins defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Da'Ron Payne, as well as edge players Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat, as the first-round talents on the Washington front and former Temple star Matt Ioannidis is no slouch either after finishing with 16 sacks over the past two seasons.

If Johnson is unable to play, expect a healthy dose of Young over Matt Pryor and Allen working against Nate Herbig, who would be getting his first NFL start at RG.

WEAK LINK: Much like the Eagles, the WFT has a lot of uncertainty on the offensive line.

Unlike Philadelphia, however, it's not injury-related in Washington. The right side is fine with star guard Brandon Scherff as the group's best player and Morgan Moses serving as a competent option at right tackle.

From there things get shaky and the team is still trying to build back up on the left side after things went bad with Trent Williams, who is now in San Francisco. Geron Christian is penciled in at left tackle and Wes Martin at left guard.

"Obviously, dealing with the big guys they’ve got up front," said Turner. "They’re a good team. They present a lot of different challenges."

UNDER THE RADAR: The WFT moved on from Adrian Peterson and has shifted to a more versatile backfield with McKissic, a dual-threat leading a committee that will also include Golden, a hybrid receiver/RB in college at Memphis, as well as Peyton Barber and Bryce Love, who are closer to being traditional backs.

Turner is trying to downplay McKissic a bit, but the uncertainty at linebacker on the Eagles side makes it clear that the WFT wants to get McKissic in space.

"I think eyes are a huge thing when you're covering these backs," Eagles LB T.J. Edwards said. "Typically, you don't really see a lot of different routes or things like that from certain types of running backs, but with these guys and having some wide receiver history, you kind of have to be ready for anything, so they definitely create a challenge for us."

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Can the Eagles right side of the offensive line hold off what figures to be a ferocious WFT pass rush? Many around the league have speculated that Young is actually farther along from where Bosa was coming in last season with the 49ers where the latter Ohio State product wrecked games. A Young matchup against Pryor could be a disaster for the Eagles.

OUTLOOK: Uncertainty has been the theme around the NFL for Week 1 with no one really knowing what to expect after a virtual offseason, a truncated training camp, and no preseason.

In that type of environment, you can talk yourself into things.

With the WFT, the obvious concern is its defensive front matching up against the musical chairs on the Eagles' offensive line through the spring and summer.

However, even if Philadelphia struggles offensively, it's hard to imagine Washington being able to generate much on that side of the ball either, outside the occasional deep shot to McLaurin.

Final Score:

JOHN MCMULLEN: Eagles 20, Washington 10

ED KRACZ: Eagles 23, Washington 13

John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Friday on SIRIUSXM and every Tuesday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SBNation Radio. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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