The Washington Redskins will have to try to clinch the division against the Philadelphia Eagles without running back Matt Jones.
The Washington Redskins have a chance to clinch the NFC East on Saturday night, when they go on the road to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
No one in the NFC East has been able to run away with the division this season, but the Redskins have a chance to put the division to bed and get ready for the playoffs with a win on Saturday.
However, it won’t be easy on the road for the Redskins against a division rival, as they will likely be without running back Matt Jones, according to Tarik El-Bashir.
RT M. Moses (ankle), FS D. Goldson (rib), J. LeRibeus (ankle) are expected to play vs. #Eagles, I'm told. RB M. Jones (hip) is not.
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) December 26, 2015
Jones has established himself as a top running back for the team alongside Alfred Morris this season. He had actually been receiving more touches on the field than Morris lately.
The Eagles struggle against the run, and not having Jones out there, means that Morris will have to shoulder the load on the ground for Washington. Having Jones would have created problems defensively for Philadelphia.
Now they won’t have Jones and will have to hope that some semblance of a run game can be established in his absence. It might come down to the arm of quarterback Kirk Cousins to win the game for the Redskins.
The Redskins know the golden chance that they have on Saturday. After it looked like they were going to have another down year in 2015, they suddenly find themselves on the doorstep of the playoffs with anew lease on life.
Having Jones healthy for the playoffs if they get there is definitely more important.