Eagles-Redskins Week 15 Predictions: Can Up-And-Down Birds Capitalize Against Another Bad Team?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It wasn't pretty -- actually, it was very ugly -- but the Eagles eked out an overtime win over the Giants on Monday night to put themselves in a tie with the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. But it was a costly win, with Lane Johnson and Alshon Jeffery both going down with injuries.
Luckily for the banged-up Birds, 3-10 Washington is on tap. However, they've won two of their last three and are showing no signs of giving up.
Can the Eagles string together a couple wins and stay in the driver's seat of the division? CBS3's football experts give their predictions.
Carson Wentz sure changed the narrative on his young career and season with his fourth-quarter comeback against the Giants. Head coach Doug Pederson said Monday night's performance was the best of Wentz's career. Even though it was against a 2-10 team, do you think this win helps propel Wentz and the Eagles the rest of the season?
Sports Director Don Bell: Nope! Let's put this into perspective: They trailed a 2-10 team by 14 points at home on Monday Night Football. The opposing quarterback was a lifetime 10-20 against the Eagles and had been rotting on the bench since Week 3 and Carson wasn't exactly being chased by Lawrence Taylor. I respect Pederson's opinion and the comeback, but part of the reason why they were booed in the first half is because Wentz struggled. I'm not hatin', I'm just sayin'.
Sports Reporter Lesley Van Arsdall: Well, the overtime win certainly helps keep hope alive. But I can't get over the fact that they were SO close to losing to the 2-10 Giants. It just doesn't bode well for the rest of the season.
Yes, the playoffs are still alive. Yes, they're playing another awful team this week. But no, I'm still not feeling great about this team. Maybe blow out the 3-10 Redskins this week, then we'll talk.
Reporter Pat Gallen: It's not often I say this: I just don't know. I believe that he has all the tools to be a really good quarterback, but he has been relatively average in many ways this year. That said, can what can we really glean from any of this? He will be throwing to Josh Perkins, Greg Ward, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Robert Davis this week, but he'll also be playing against a 3-10 team whose season is long over. I'd love to be able to grade him with at least a semblance of a roster.
I think in the short term, finishing the season on a high note and winning out with great games is important.
Reporter Dan Koob: It only changes the narrative if you chose to buy into it in the first place. Carson has struggled, sure, but he's surrounded by nothing and hasn't exactly been helped out by his coaching staff. I wrote about this in this week's Koobservations, but if you think the Eagles will be a competitive playoff team because they survive the Giants, Cowboys and Redskins, you'll be very upset after Wild Card weekend.
Sports Producer Andy Wheeler: I think they had to win the game to have any chance of the playoffs. Whether or not it's the best game of Carson's career or not, I can't really say, but I think any kind of win is important for his and the team's confidence. I hate to say the cliché' but they literally have to go a game at a time.
Boston Scott became a revelation against the Giants, rushing for 59 yards and a touchdown and catching six passes for 69 yards. Do you see the Eagles leaning on Scott more the rest of the season?
Bell: The Eagles LOVE the running-back-by-committee approach and I would expect them to utilize Scott more considering his impressive play and the absence of Jordan Howard, who missed his fourth straight game with a shoulder injury. But here's the thing, if Scott is as explosive as he looked Monday night, what took them so long to use him?
Van Arsdall: For sure. Scott provided not only a spark but a nightmare matchup for the Giants' defense. If he can continue to run and catch effectively, and if the Eagles continue to target him, he could be Darren Sproles 2.0. However, one game does not define a player so let's hope Scott can keep up the big plays.
Gallen: I do. It looks like he could be another Sproles. Obviously that's only one game, but he could end up being an intriguing piece of the puzzle. There's always a need for a change-of-pace back, someone who can cause damage out of the backfield in the short passing game and make slower linebackers pay. Give me more Scott!
Koob: Isn't it incredible the Eagles promote three guys from the practice squad and they combine for almost 200 yards? Makes you wonder what's going on over there. Boston Scott looked like a dual-threat back, Greg Ward is the shiftiest wide receiver on the roster and Josh Perkins is another tight end who uses his body to get open. Wow! We haven't seen enough of Scott to say for sure, but the Scott/Sanders backfield looked really good for one night, at least.
Wheeler: If he's the only healthy guy, sure they'll lean on him, but he can't be the primary guy on the offense or the Birds are in a lot of trouble.
Even though it was a dramatic come-from-behind win, the Eagles nearly lost in back-to-back weeks to two-win teams. Why has this Eagles team been so Jekyll and Hyde this season?
Bell: Because they have tons of injuries to key players and we overrated their talent. Oh, and the coaching has been suspect, I can't forget that part. Injuries are a part of football, but nobody suffers like the Eagles. They should take a strong look at the strength and conditioning staff, medical team, etc. in the offseason.
General manager Howie Roseman needs to have more success in the draft -- see second-round draft pick Sidney Jones for an example. And finally, remember when Pederson shook the league with his clever use of run-pass options (RPOs)? If you don't evolve in the NFL, you're toast.
Van Arsdall: You can say it's due to injuries and lack of depth, but this Jekyll and Hyde season is bigger than just that. There just seems to be something missing from this team. It's time for this team to get back to that killer instinct.
Instead of being dominant, the defense has looked tentative. The offense, led by Wentz, looks lost at times, playing with no rhythm or aggressiveness. Maybe that dramatic overtime win will be the spark this team needed to start playing playoff-caliber football again.
Gallen: They're not super talented. That's the simple answer. But they've also dealt with a ton of injuries, albeit not well. And their inconsistencies have reared their head at the most inopportune times.
Koob: Because they're not that good. And this is what mediocre -- and injured -- teams do.
Wheeler: Simply put, they aren't very good. A lack of talent and poor coaching usually leads to teams like this one.
The Eagles inexplicably dressed only three receivers and then were down to two after Alshon Jeffery suffered a season-ending foot injury during the game. With Nelson Agholor's status still up in the air for the game against the Redskins, how should Pederson scheme to give Wentz a chance with his depleted receiving corps?
Bell: I keep waiting for tight end Dallas Goedert to flash signs of consistency and offer support for Zach Ertz but it hasn't happened much this season. This is a good time to let it rip with creativity and exploit matchups against backers and safeties.
Van Arsdall: Use the running backs and tight ends because that's basically all you've got. And that's exactly what we saw in the fourth quarter on Monday night. Zach Ertz remains the best weapon the offense has, and a combo of Miles Sanders and Scott catching the ball out of the backfield might help make up for the lack of wide receiver depth.
Gallen: Whatever he did in the second half against the Giants DO THAT AGAIN! That was the perfect offense, although I do wish they would try to strike quicker. These long drives are hard to sustain. At some point, they've gotta figure out a way to score on big plays. Also, lean on Sanders/Scott and Ertz/Goedert. I would love to see a huge day from Dallas.
Koob: The coaching staff did a nice job in the second half and OT of getting Sanders and Scott involved in the screen game and splitting out their three tight ends to find plus-matchups. I expect more of the same.
Wheeler: They need to run two tight ends out there pretty much every play. If all your wideouts are out of the lineup, you have no other choice. Running the ball and throwing to the tight ends is about all they have left they can do.
The Redskins are a putrid 3-10 heading in Sunday's matchup. Who on the Redskins could give the Eagles fits?
Bell: The easy answer is wide receiver Terry McLaurin. He's a rookie but he burned the Birds for 125 yards and a TD back in Week 1. He can be this week's DeVante Parker if they're not careful.
Van Arsdall: Well, I would have said defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, -- he's given the Eagles fits over the years -- but good news for the Birds: Kerrigan has been ruled out for Sunday with a calf injury. No one else on that roster scares me, not even a little bit. The only way the Eagles lose this game is if they beat themselves.
Gallen: I'd be surprised if we didn't say the same name. Terry McLaurin, that's pretty much it.
Koob: The Eagles are 1-1 the last two weeks against the 3-10 Dolphins and the 2-11 Giants. Who can hurt them? Anyone, but most likely Terry McLaurin.
Wheeler: They saw him in Week 1 -- McLaurin. The Eagles' secondary stinks and McLaurin has already shown once he can take advantage of the Eagles with his speed.
Predictions?
Bell: Eagles 23, Washington 19.
Van Arsdall: Eagles win 24-13.
Gallen: Eagles, 24-19
Koob: If Washington had anything resembling a professional quarterback, this might actually be a tossup. Dwayne Haskins is not a professional quarterback. Eagles win 24-14 and we finally get to the NFC East championship game against Dallas.
Wheeler: Eagles win, 23-10.
