SATURDAY 8:25 Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PLAYOFF football starts tomorrow night in Philadelphia. If we don’t win this game, the next one is mere formality. A win doesn’t automatically put us in the playoffs, since we’d still need to win the last game; but a loss means the team can head back to the locker room, shower, and then start throwing their shit in Hefty bags.
EAGLES
Defense
We have a bunch of fatigued players, some of whom are overpaid, all of which are playing in a bad scheme. You can only expect so much at this point in the year. If Defensive Coordinator Billy Davis had any ideas for shoring up this unit, you’d have seen those ideas three years ago. At this point, we are what we are until he’s fired.
Offense
QB Sam Bradford had his best statistical game as an Eagle vs the Redskins, and that was before he was said to be “getting comfortable” or “turning a corner” within this Offense. Only attempting 18 rushes is how the Head Coach Chip Kelly handed a win to the ‘skins in our first match-up this year. If he repeats such a formula and we lose, it will be time to run him out of town on a rail.
There is no reason this team should perform worse in this game than we did the last time we faced this defense.
.
Redskins
Defense
The good news is that the ‘skins can be run against. They aren’t soft, but they are overly aggressive and allow teams to find room to run against their 3-4 front. OLB Ryan Kerrigan is of course leading the team in sacks with 8.5, but his counterweight OLB Trent Murphy isn’t producing at the rate the team was hoping for when they decided they could release Brian Orakpo this offseason. The ‘skins are active and aggressive, but they aren’t as tough or tough-minded as they purport themselves to be.
They can be had.
Offense
The last time we faced QB Kirk Cousins, he pretty much did anything he wanted to do, and that was with WR DeSean Jackson inactive with a hamstring issue. Jackson is back and he’s playing on a tear. While the ‘skins have struggled to run the ball all year, they did a pretty handy job running against us in our first meeting this year.
There is a potential bright spot as in recent weeks it’s been easier to get to Cousins than it was earlier this year. The only knock on that bright spot is that even when you get in his face he’s still completing passes over the 70% mark.
BOTTOM LINE
It would be smarter in the long run to lose this game and put ourselves in position for the team to get better pieces to build a stronger future. Instead, what’s going to happen is this team will come one step closer to winning the division which will sandbag ourselves in the arms race vs. our rivals.
PREDICTION
EAGLES 26 – Redskins 20
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 
I do not think it is ever better to lose but I have no faith at this point. If they win this week they will ride high only to lose to the Giants next week. A typical Eagle failure.
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The point is that there is nothing to gain from a quick first round exit, but plenty can come from picking early in 7 rounds.
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You are probably right about a house cleaning. Unfortunately Lurie will torture fans again and throw away next season by bringing Kelly back. This guy had no plays this season. Ive never seen a football team stay bad for 16 games. I mean they just cannot make simple plays. I mean on defense we need to immediately fire the D coordinator. He is the scapegoat but they are inept. Our linebackers flat out stink. Alonzero should get his walking papers but they will say he is recovering his knee. Kendricks is lost in the scheme. Ryans needs a nursing home. He cannot move anymore. Our secondary is in shambles but believe or not maybe a bright spot. We have no pass rush. On offense line has fallen apart on the run and can barely protect the QB. We have only one legit WR in Matthews. Our RB are slow or old. We have two tight ends that can barely hold on to the ball. Although Ertz is part of a rebuild. We do not have a signed QB. It goes on and on.
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It goes on and on. The best thing to do since we already know next year is a lost one, is just bit the bullet and establish a young core. In three years when it’s a dynasty, no one will care about 2015 and 2016.
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You make a lot of assumptions. The first should be is the owner committed to winning a superbowl
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I don’t recall Lurie ever saying he was committed to winning a Super Bowl. He said back in the days of Joe Banner that he wanted the Eagles to be the Gold Standard of the NFL and that he wanted this team to be competitive for a long time to come.
I don’t recall him ever being gaga over the idea of a Super Bowl.
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Thats a big problem
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