Date & Time: January 3rd – 8:20 P.M.
Location: Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field
Network: NBC
Injury Report:
Philadelphia: Miles Sanders, Fletcher Cox, Dallas Goedert, Derek Barnett, Jordan Mailata, DeSean Jackson, Shaun Bradley, Duke Riley, and Richard Rodgers are all OUT. Michael Jacquet – Questionable
Washington: Thomas Davis Jr (OUT), Antonio Gibson (Questionable), Terry McLaurin (Questionable), Kevin Pierre-Louis (Questionable), Alex Smith (Questionable)
With the Eagles now eliminated from playoff contention, this game presents them with the opportunity to play spoiler against a division rival. Ultimately, this game can go two ways: 1) The Eagles win, worsen their draft pick standing, and knock Washington out of the playoffs or 2) The Eagles lose, move up in the draft order, and send Washington to the playoffs.
For Philadelphia, a 4-10-1 football team, it’s been a pretty disappointing season that not many people saw coming. Things haven’t felt right since the first half of the first game of the season, against this very same Washington Football Team. There have been constant issues all year, whether those issues are injury related, playcalling/gameplanning, or simply talent not being good enough, there have been issues all around. And in this last game, it seems like an end to a long and dreadful nightmare. There will most certainly be lots of much-needed changes made to this team in the coming days and weeks, and this game may be the last hurrah for some veterans and coaches as members of the Philadelphia Eagles organization. Expect the Eagles to play hard and with pride and make this a game, as some longtime players may be playing in their farewell game in midnight green.
For Washington, this game is their season. This is a win-and-in game for them, as with a win they win the worst division in football, the NFC East. I expect Washington to pull out all the stops, in order to make the post-season in Ron Rivera’s first season in the nation’s capital. With an attacking defensive line that is ranked 9th in pressure rate and 6th in sacks, facing an offensive line that will be putting it’s 14th offensive line combination, expect Rivera and defensive coordinator, Jack Del Rio to send a barrage of blitzes in order to secure a playoff spot.
Prediction
While the Eagles most certainly will make this a game, in primetime, I just don’t see them being able to overcome missing 8 starters and the desperation that Washington will be playing with. I think Washington wins a hard fought game on a late field goal from Dustin Hopkins.
Bold Prediction: Zach Ertz scores 2 touchdowns
Pick: Eagles 24, Washington 27
The Philly Blitz 