The 4-1 Eagles travel to the nation’s capital to take on the 3-2 Redskins in an important week 6 showdown in the NFC East.
The Eagles travel to FedEx Field to take on the Redskins who have won three in a row. After starting off 0-2, the Redskins took down the Giants, the Browns and the Ravens to climb their way back into the competitive NFC East. The Eagles started out 3-0 but suffered their first loss last week to the Lions. This game will be their first division matchup.
Redskins’ QB Kirk Cousins was getting heavily criticized after the 0-2 start and even had some people calling for Colt McCoy. But he’s turned it on during the Redskins three-game win streak, throwing for six touchdowns and only two picks in that span. Cousins has had many weapons step up for him in different games. DeSean Jackson had a day against the Giants and Pierre Garcon caught the game-winning touchdown just a few days ago against Baltimore. Jordan Reed has been consistent but the real MVP of the offense so far has been Jamison Crowder. Crowder has 21 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns, not to mention his 85-yard punt return TD against the Ravens.
The Eagles were supposed to be in the basement of this division but early in the year find themselves near the top. They dealt Sam Bradford to the Vikings which opened the door for Carson Wentz to be the starter. Wentz has thrown for just over 1,000 yards in his first four games and has seven touchdowns to just one interception. He has this offense playing great football along with Jordan Matthews. Sitting at 3-1, the Eagles look to go into Washington and take down their first division opponent.
The problem with the Redskins so far has been their defense. They are giving up close to 400 yards per game, a lot of them on the ground. They need to get stronger up front if they want to make a run to win this division. The Eagles defense has been solid so far, giving up under 300 yards per game. The defense could end up being the key factor to this game.
Odds
Line: Phi (-2.5)
Over/Under: 44.5
Philly took a tough L last week in Detroit against a mediocre Lion team. The final score was 24-23 thanks to a last minute field goal by Detroit. Wentz got the ball back with a chance to get them into field goal range but fired his first interception of the season with just over a minute left. While they are 3-1, it is hard to believe in the Eagles and Carson Wentz. A team that is supposed to finish with 4 wins all season usually comes back down to earth at some point. But that time is not now and they are playing good football.
Washington has bounced back nicely after an 0-2 start. They won two tough road games and three in a row overall. they have a chance this week to propel themselves into the top of the division. The key is the defense, who played a great game in Baltimore. After a 75-yard TD drive by the Ravens to start the game, they held them to three points the rest of the way and scoreless in the second half. As long as Cousins doesn’t turn the ball over and the defense carries over from their week 5 win, the Redskins could come out on top.
Next: Every NFL teams best draft pick of all-time
The Cowboys are 4-1 to start the season and are traveling to Green Bay to take on the Packers. After losing three in a row, the Giants are 2-3 and get ready to host the Ravens this week. With those two teams playing games they could very easily lose, the winner of this Redskins-Eagles game could start to take control of the division. At the end of the day, the Redskins are hot and they are the home team so they have the advantage.
Prediction: Eagles 22, Redskins 27