It's Crunch Time, Eagles fans.
The Eagles head south down I-95 to kick off their NFC East schedule with a date against the Redskins, and they should be going with a bad taste in their mouth.
They lost a game to the Lions they had no business losing. They slept through the first half, then saw a couple of key turnovers kill their comeback chances.
Looking for a bright spot? Carson Wentz continues to play very well, despite tossing his first interception. Wentz continues to display all the signs of being a top-flight NFL quarterback. He will need all those skills today when he gets his first taste of what a real NFC East rivalry is.
Wentz also will likely be peering a bit out of his right eye at the tackle spot. Lane Johnson will be MIA for the next 10 games courtesy of that PED violation. That means rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai (can't wait to hear Merrill Reese have fun with this one) will be manning the key spot on the right end of the line. If he can't keep the Redskins D-line off Wentz's back, it could be a long day.
But I'm looking for the Eagles' defense to actually set the tone for this game. Whatever the reason Nigel Bradham was not in the starting lineup, nor on the field much of the first half should be long gone. They should be able to pressure Kirk Cousins and create a key turnover that will be the key to the win.
Doug Pederson's play-calling continues to be on the money, and his should be able to use Wentz again to continue to control the tempo of the game, something that is very important when on the road.
The Eagles lost a game they should not have last week. They don't want to compound it this week. Their schedule turns decidedly tougher now. They need every win they can get.
The Pick: Make it Eagles 24, Redskins 23.
Last Week: The Birds looked like a team that had been off for a week in the first half against the Lions. Their excellent second half was sabotaged by some seriously questionable officiating, a brutal Ryan Mathews fumble, and the first pick of Carson Wentz's interception. If they miss the playoffs by a game, this is the one that did them in.
The loss knocked me down to the .500 mark at 2-2, while Doug Pederson continues to preach calms as the Birds sit at 3-1. We'll see how he feels after his first trip to D.C.
Game by Game: Eagles 29, Browns 10 (My Pick: Eagles 19, Browns 13)
Eagles 29, Bears 14 (My Pick: Eagles 24, Bears 16)
Eagles 34, Steelers 3 (My Pick: Steelers, 26, Eagles 23)
Lions 24, Eagles 23 (My Pick: Eagles 31, Lions 10)
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