I just feel if someone is talking they respect your game. It didn’t get one, either, because the controversial call of a Kirk Cousins fumble was upheld upon review, which meant Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox’s 20-yard touchdown would not be overturned, and a lackluster Washington performance concluded as it should have – with a 30-17 season-opening defeat Sunday at FedEx Field. A lot of people seem to be buying into this, jumping on the bandwagon and labeling Philadelphia as a sleeper team to watch.
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After a successful two-point conversion, the Eagles took the lead 30-17. The line wasn’t ideal, but they did their job, even when Jason Peters left the game late in the first half. But that’s where Lane Johnson comes in. the Skins sacked Wentz five times in Johnson’s first game out of a 10-game suspension, which was precisely the first against Washington. It didn’t block in the run game; Washington produced 64 rushing yards on just 3.8 yards per carry.
From that first game in 1934 until November, 1942 the Eagles won a total of two games over the Redskins.
What irked Wentz about losing twice past year to the Redskins was that as poorly as the Eagle played on offense, both setbacks were by a touchdown or less. They brought in LeGarrette Blount to add power to the running attack and his new starting receivers are both big play guys, speedster Torrey Smith and former Pro Bowler Aslhon Jeffery. He was often the first guy to arrive and among the last one to leave. That’s what happened in the fourth quarter, and one of the Redskins’ best drives ended in a tipped interception.
Philadelphia endured a distraction of its own this week after former National Football League general manager Michael Lombardi called second-year coach Doug Pederson (7-9 a year ago) the least qualified coach in the NFL. Yes, I had him ranked over Myles Garrett. “I definitely let my teammates down”. And Washington doesn’t have the luxury of giving him a learning curve in 2017 after veteran receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon left via free agency. It’s important for the coach to position quarterback Kirk Cousins and the offense in prime position for success by helping them find a rhythm early with a mix of the run and the pass.
Of all the bets you could make this off-season, a regression for Cousins is probably the safest to make. “I’ll tell you what, I think he lost that ball in the lights”, Fox’s Ronde Barber said. Carson Wentz gets picked off late by Josh Norman to seal the deal for Washington as the Eagles lose a sixth straight game to their longtime division rivals. I’m looking forward to it.
“I have seen [negative] things here and there”, Wentz was quoted as saying.
With all that said, here is a look at the three keys to victory for the Redskins as they look to get a victory early on against the Eagles.
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Wentz, who was the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft after a successful collegiate career with North Dakota State University, says he has no problem tolerating a few nasty tweets every time he shares his faith on social media because he realizes there are many who’ve paid a much graver price for their faith.
