Predictions For Week 1 Vs The Eagles

[thebluefood]

On one hand, the Eagles look like they're going to have another poor season. They don't have much going their way and I'd be shocked if they finished above last place.

 

On the other hand, it's a Monday Night game against a division rival. Anything can happen.

 

I say the 'Skins win it in a close game 27-24.

[perez24]

1.  Redskins win but closer than we would like.

 

2.  Reed Doughty starts at SS, to the delight of half of the ES members while the rest are furious.

 

3.  RGIII starts and at least one time gets hit late...no flag.

[clarkskin]

A lot of confident fans here on ES...

[Johns Bass]

Skins 27  Filly 17

 

Beagles are not any faster offense than the Bills. Week 3 they both averaged 24 seconds per play. Philly has a pretty bad run D to the outside so look for a lot of RB action and clock killing. They gave up 202 yds on 34 carries and had one tackle for a loss of one yard against the Jags. No matter how fast their Offense is, they still have to get on the field.

 

They seem to let a lot of pressure come to Vick forcing him to either make the play on the run (which he can still do), take a sack (holding on to the ball too long) or make a headscratcher play - which he still seems to do more often then he should. (ie Going down for a sack and tossing the ball up the middle of the field while falling backwards?)

[Bacon]

If we score a couple times early, the Eagles are doomed. With questions at the QB position and no Maclin, I can't see them going one-dimensional and beating us in a shootout. If they are able to run the ball at will, we'll be in for a long day. Turnovers are also significant, but we were brilliant there last season, so I'm not worried. All around, their offensive strengths play well into our hands. Defensively, they struggled greatly last season and we made huge strides. But this is 2013 now and I don't know entirely what to expect from the new-look Eagles. Hopefully not much of merit.

 

27-14.

[Wyndorf25]

I see a 24-20 score. Skins will be run-heavy and play-action efficient. Defense will make some key plays but give up a few big plays as well. An exciting opener to the season

[K-Ray]

Have to agree with pounding the rock in this one. I've seen a couple of the Eagles pre-season games and boy are they bad against the run. They simply do not have the right personnel to run a 3-4 defense yet. Morris and Co. will carve them up on the ground while dominating time of possession. Everyone wants to talk about the CK offense, but if they don't have the ball, they can't score.

 

I'm thinking...

 

Redskins 31

Eagles     10

[DaGoonie55]

The Eagles are not very good. I watched Vick specifically. His long passes were achieved only after his line fell apart and he scrambled out of the pocket and the secondary broke down. They will run the ball and if we stop the big play, we should cruise - regardless who we have behind center.

[oldskoolskins]

ESPN the Magazine predicts the Skins win 41-0!!! Works for me.

[Larry]

At least three Skins will leave the game, with injuries.

At least 75 ES posts will announce that the sky has fallen.

[NomadicSkinFan]

I know Kelly will do something unorthodox, go for 4th downs deep in our territory, call a couple trick plays, and or go for 2 when he didn't have too. That was his MO at Oregon, not to mention what he could be capable of calling with NFL talent in his offense compared to when he had college players..

 

I don't think him having NFL talent is an advantage in this case.  Yes, man for man they are better than any college team.  But they will be going against a defense that is man for man better than any defense they've played.  One of the reasons we see coaches having big success in college and not in the NFL is because of imbalance of talent.  Successful schools attract more high quality players.  When you have a talent imbalance, you have multiple weaknesses to exploit on the other team.  I don't see that happening here.

[McMVP]

Time management is key in any NFL game. While I think Kelly's fast-paced of fence gives him an edge in the first half, the Redskins prove to the rookie coach that it's all about controlling the clock.

Redskins 31

Iggles 20

I disagree that it is about controlling the clock. I think it is one of biggest myths out there.

If you would've said the turnover battle, I'd agree. That is huge. Time of possession is not.

The Eagles are not very good. I watched Vick specifically. His long passes were achieved only after his line fell apart and he scrambled out of the pocket and the secondary broke down. They will run the ball and if we stop the big play, we should cruise - regardless who we have behind center.

Well perhaps you were fooled by the offense the eagles ran in the first half vs Jax. I'm sure Shanahan wasn't.

[Mr. Sinister]

I disagree that is about controlling the clock. I think it is one of biggest myths out there.

If you would've said the turnover battle, I'd agree. That is huge. Time of possession is not.

Well perhaps you were fooled by the offense the eagles ran in the first half vs Jax. I'm sure Shanahan wasn't.

 

"Controlling the clock" is used loosely, but normally it has to do with breaking down the defense, and keeping those quick strike/uptempo offenses that are insanely based on rythymn, off the field, so it's harder for them to keep going. It also gives the uptempo offense less opportunities to score, which causes them to rush, and opens the door for turnovers and other mistakes. It also puts them in more straight passing situations so the D can tee off.

 

So used in a vacuum, "Controlling the clock" doesn't mean much, and some teams can have a clear advantage in TOP an it won't show, it's different when you have a very good team that can dominate TOP and control the clock. That's typically a decisive W.

[McMVP]

"Controlling the clock" is used loosely, but normally it has to do with breaking down the defense, and keeping those quick strike/uptempo offenses that are insanely based on rythymn, off the field, so it's harder for them to keep going. It also gives the uptempo offense less opportunities to score, which causes them to rush, and opens the door for turnovers and other mistakes. It also puts them in more straight passing situations so the D can tee off.

So used in a vacuum, "Controlling the clock" doesn't mean much, and some teams can have a clear advantage in TOP an it won't show, it's different when you have a very good team that can dominate TOP and control the clock. That's typically a decisive W.

I get all that...but I still feel it's old school mentality. And while I am old school myself, the NFL rules are different now...they favor the offense.

Chip Kelly is right to think maximizing offensive snaps is the way to go. If the rules favor that side of the ball...then maximize it.

A team that tries to milk the clock (outside of late in the game with a good lead), is only minimizing their attempts to take advantage.

[McMVP]

It basically comes down to playing to win...vs playing not to lose.

If I had RG3 as my QB (yes I'm an eagles can if that wasn't already obvious), I would want to run as many offensive plays as I could.

[nuposse87]

I'm cautiously optimistic...I have confidence in our offenses ability to put up 21-28 points with a relatively cold RG III, anything beyond that I think is asking for a bit much. Alfred should look better back there with RG III posing as a threat in the read option as well. 

 

I still have little confidence in our D against mobile quarterbacks. Also I fully expect Desean Jackson (that friggin douche) to burn us for a long TD at least once. Our corners aren't terribly fast and the safety play outside of Merriweather is nothing to brag about. The Eagles, to me it seems, like a team that will rack in a ridiculous amount of yards, but with Jackson and Celek their only real playmakers in the intermediate passing game, will have trouble converting FGs to TDs. I think a lot of defenses can bend but not break against them so long as they keep their playmakers in front of them. 

 

Eagles-16

Skins-27

 

A victory with no injuries on either side would be ideal. 

[McMVP]

I'm cautiously optimistic...I have confidence in our offenses ability to put up 21-28 points with a relatively cold RG III, anything beyond that I think is asking for a bit much. Alfred should look better back there with RG III posing as a threat in the read option as well.

I still have little confidence in our D against mobile quarterbacks. Also I fully expect Desean Jackson (that friggin douche) to burn us for a long TD at least once. Our corners aren't terribly fast and the safety play outside of Merriweather is nothing to brag about. The Eagles, to me it seems, like a team that will rack in a ridiculous amount of yards, but with Jackson and Celek their only real playmakers in the intermediate passing game, will have trouble converting FGs to TDs. I think a lot of defenses can bend but not break against them so long as they keep their playmakers in front of them.

Eagles-16

Skins-27

A victory with no injuries on either side would be ideal.

Casey, the new TE/HB addition on the Eagles, is an afterthought to most. I don't think he will be after a few games. Chip has been hiding him in preseason

And I agree with the no injuries wish...

[CBass1724]

34-27 Skins victory.  Vick gets concussed by being sammiched between 91 and 98.  Foles throws an interception to Reed Doughty to seal up the game.

[Vanguard]

It looks like people don't think our defense will have improved this year.  I hope the Eagles don't put up more than 13.

[Mr. Sinister]

I get all that...but I still feel it's old school mentality. And while I am old school myself, the NFL rules are different now...they favor the offense.

Chip Kelly is right to think maximizing offensive snaps is the way to go. If the rules favor that side of the ball...then maximize it.

A team that tries to milk the clock (outside of late in the game with a good lead), is only minimizing their attempts to take advantage.

 

Well you can still control the clock and be a dominant scoring offense. It has to do with your offense and defense. I just think that when you score too fast, you put your defense at a disadvantage, because they have to spend more time on the field, and when you don't score on offense, and the defense forces into 3 an out's, because of the uptempo nature of the way they run plays, you put yourself at a disadvantage even more.

 

Sometime's you have running oriented offenses that are built for clock control and are more limited in the passing department, and you have great balanced offenses like ours that can be chameleon like, and adapt their offense to take advantage of each teams weakness, and score many different ways, fast or slow, passing or running.

[autoidiodyssey]

At least 75 ES posts will announce that the sky has fallen.

 

This will happen after the first Eagles 1st down or the first Skins 3 and out. Assuming the board doesn't crash first.

[McMVP]

Well you can still control the clock and be a dominant scoring offense. It has to do with your offense and defense. I just think that when you score too fast, you put your defense at a disadvantage, because they have to spend more time on the field, and when you don't score on offense, and the defense forces into 3 an out's, because of the uptempo nature of the way they run plays, you put yourself at a disadvantage even more.

Sometime's you have running oriented offenses that are built for clock control and are more limited in the passing department, and you have great balanced offenses like ours that can be chameleon like, and adapt their offense to take advantage of each teams weakness, and score many different ways, fast or slow, passing or running.

I agree that there would be times the defense is gassed and has to go right back out there. It's simply going to happen.

But in the big picture...the Law of Averages so to speak, it's not going to be that often...unless the offense goes 3 and out repeatedly. And in that case they just suck.

But over the course of a game, and more importantly, over the course of an entire season. If your offense is getting first downs more often than 3 and outs with the uptempo...you take the few 3 and outs and live with them.

It's about keeping the opposing defense off balance more than keeping your own defense fresh.

[Audible_Red40]

Stop/contain Shady McCoy and our chances go up drastically at winning this game.

 

In the end, I do believe the Skins win. 26-20

[McMVP]

Stop/contain Shady McCoy and our chances go up drastically at winning this game.

In the end, I do believe the Skins win. 26-20

Shady will get the ball when the numbers in the box dictate that he should. It will all depend on the play and what your defense is showing.

[NoCalMike]

If the Eagles can't stop the run, which I don't think they can, then it doesn't matter how fast the Eagles offense is because they won't be on the field enough to score a lot of points.

 

Morris wore down defenses almost on his own in the running game last season.  Now he has a healthy Helu behind him to break the back of a defense just when they think Morris may be slowing down. Helu will come in and run right past a tired defense.

 

With the Eagles style of offense, trying to be super fast and quick, what it also means is that they are setting up to kill their own defense unless they score on every drive.