Wentz, Birds brace for Monday Night battle
Eagles look to make 2018 history against Washington ... by winning two games in a row
You won’t find it in the weekly release with the so-called meaningful stats because it’s the Eagles’ dirty little secret.
The defending Super Bowl champions haven’t had a winning streak this season, the first time they’ve been unable to win back-to-back games since the 1998 team went 3-13 under Ray Rhodes.
The major difference between these Eagles coached by Doug Pederson and that hapless team is the current cast is in playoff contention.
While there’s no guarantee the Eagles will defeat the ailing Washington Redskins Monday (8:20 p.m., ESPN, 6ABC) to make it two wins in a row, a loss wouldn’t be fatal in the NFC East playoff chase. The Eagles (5-6) are six-point favorites over the Redskins (6-5), who top them in the standings and are hot on the trail of the divisionleading Dallas Cowboys (7-5), who have won four in a row.
“I think everyone’s a little relieved that we won against the Giants on Sunday, overcoming that big deficit early in the game,” tight end Zach Ertz said of the 25-22 win over the Giants. “But if you need a reason to really get up for the Redskins you probably shouldn’t be in this locker room. Everything is right in front of us. We’re not exactly where we thought we would be but there’s no reason to sulk now. Everything is right in front of us.”
Ertz has done his part with 84 catches and a team-high six touchdowns. There hasn’t been enough production from the players around him.
The Eagles average just 20.9
points. They’ve scored more than 24 points just twice, on both occasions against the New York Giants, the division cellar dwellers.
Veteran third down back Darren Sproles might be able to help as he’s expected to return to the lineup after missing the last 10 games with a hamstring issue. However, rookie Josh Adams, who has given the Eagles a run game, is listed as questionable for the Redskins with a hip issue.
The Eagles get defensive backs Sidney Jones (hamstring) and Rasul Douglas (knee) back Monday, and that will help the back end. Linebacker Nigel Bradham, who will play with a cast on his broken left thumb, isn’t going to have an easy time putting 6-1, 225-pound running back Adrian Peterson on his back. The same with Eagles linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, who has a broken right thumb.
The Redskins have several issues as well, first and foremost no one remotely like Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff to block Eagles Pro Bowl tackle Fletcher Cox. Scherff’s season-ending injury has crippled an offensive line that typically features new combinations each week.
Additionally, quarterback Colt McCoy makes his third start for the Redskins in place of Alex Smith, out with a hideous fractured leg. McCoy has thrown three TD passes and three interceptions in three appearances.
“Last week was a big step just putting something on film, that we’re capable of doing,” Birds offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “Right now, it’s crunch time. These next two games are really the whole season. So, it is what it is.”
The Redskins they play three of their last four games on the road, including three against division leaders. After games at Dallas and the Los Angeles Rams, the Eagles entertain the Houston Texans before finishing on the road against the Redskins.
The Eagles swept the Redskins last season to snap a fivegame losing streak in the series. The Eagles also have defeated the Redskins in four straight Monday night games, including a 34-24 decision last year at the Linc that featured a fourTD pass performance by Carson Wentz.
“We started off slow,” Wentz said. “I remember the very beginning when we kept going backwards, backwards, backwards, then the interception. It was ‘Alright, shake it off.’ And we kind of stayed kind of slow for a couple drives, and then we just kind of turned it on. Offensively, we started rolling and the defense played great, and obviously, there were a ton of big plays made in that game. There’s a lot to kind of build from in that game, and to learn from to how to attack these guys.”
The team that scores first in Redskins games this season has prevailed. The Eagles don’t want to be the seventh Washington opponent to dig themselves that hole.