By John Pappas
Warpath Confidential Editor
The Redskins face the unenviable task of going to Philadelphia this Sunday to face the Eagles. The Eagles are 6-4 and looking to keep up with Dallas, who won Thursday. They have a big-play offense, and an aggressive defense. They will be looking to swarm all over Washington and put them down early.
But the Redskins can win this game. The offense has been playing more effectively over the last few weeks, and the league’s fourth-ranked defense, and first-ranked passing defense will keep them in the game.
To have a chance however, key players will have to step up and play a solid game. Here are five to focus on.
Rock Cartwright
Cartwright had arguably his best game as a pro last week. Cartwright gained 140 all-purpose yards against Dallas. This week, he will need to build on this in order for the Redskins to have success. Cartwright will need to be explosive in hitting the hole and getting through it. And as with last week, he will have to have soft hands to give quarterback Jason Campbell a hot read when the Eagles blitz. A big plus would be to execute well in pass protection to give Campbell extra time. Something Cartwright is not known for.
Albert Haynesworth
Haynesworth has yet to practice this week. This is not a good sign. Against Dallas, Washington was victimized with interior rushes. They also watched as Tony Romo marched the Cowboys down the field in the fourth quarter to win the game. The Redskins mustered only one sack against Dallas. This was a direct result of Haynesworth missing the game. Washington needs Haynesworth to play in order to have a valid shot of beating Philadelphia. The Eagles aren’t a great rush team, but if you give Donovan McNabb too much time, he will kill you. Haynesworth draws double and triple-team blocking, which creates opportunities for Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo. The key to sustaining a league-best passing defense in Washington is getting Haynesworth on the field.
Jason Campbell
Campbell played a great game last week. He was quick to get the ball out of the pocket, and was excellent on his hot reads. Unfortunately this did not translate to points. While this is not necessarily all his fault, as he is not calling the plays, Campbell needs to be as good as last week and more for Washington to win. In short, the Redskins need touchdown drives. Washington is beating no-one scoring just six points, and the key to a win is Campbell attacking the Eagles’ defense.
LaRon Landry
Landry played one his best games last week. He kept everything in front of him, took good angles, and hit people hard. He made Dallas’ Roy Williams play like he was scared. Landry needs to do more of this. Most important, don’t let DeSean Jackson get behind him. The Eagles and Jackson torched Washington for two big plays last time, both when Landry was on the field. Landry cannot play too aggressive this time. He needs to be patient and not bite on the underneath stuff.
DeAngelo Hall/Carlos Rogers
Hall likewise has not practiced yet this week. Hall missing the game Sunday could be bad, as he is Washington’s best cover corner. If Hall cannot go, the Redskins will have to get Carlos Rogers on the field. And if this happens, Rogers will have to focus on not biting on the double-moves. Rogers has been exploited twice in this fashion, and the second time against Denver earned him a demotion. Hall or Rogers will need to keep Jackson in front, not bite on double moves, and not hand him off too early to the safety.
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