The Washington Redskins picked up their second win of the season over the Philadelphia Eagles, who have now falledn to a dismal 1-3 on the season. Here are three things we learned about each team today:
Washington Redskins
Defense is better than people think
This might come as a surprise to those who don't watch Washington every week, but the Redskins actually have a good defense. They rank second in yards per game and in the top 10 for points allowed and third down conversions. Washington's defense outplayed the Eagles offense today, limiting them to just 87 rushing yards and forcing two turnovers.
Dominant rushing combo
No one (in their right minds) really expected the combo of Matt Jones and Alfred Morris to outplay DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews coming into this season, but that ws the case in this one. The Redskins RBs have been carrying Washington's offense all year, and as long as they're productive, they have a chance to be pretty good this year.
They have a legitimate chance to win the NFC East
Washington is now tied with the Giants at 2-2, and the Dallas Cowboys could very well make it a three-way tie atop the division if they lose to the Saints tonight. Few gave the Redskins any sort of a chance at making the playoffs this year, but they might just end up winning the division because of how inconsistent every contender is.
Philadelphia Eagles
Secondary is still a problem
The Eagles' secondary is improved from last year, but it still ranks in the bottom 10 in the NFL in passing yards allowed. The secondary has managed to force a few turnovers, but allowed Kirk Cousins to shred them for 290 yards and march Washington down the field on their game-winning drive. This unit aboslutely needs to improve if the Eagles want to turn their season around.
Slow starts are killing them
The Eagles are heavily outscoring their opponents in the second half of games this season, but their first quarter showings have been awful. That was the case again in this one as they fell behind 13-0 at halftime, but then came back to take a 20-16 lead in the fourth quarter before blowing the game late. If Philadelphia wants to contend for the NFC East, they have to be able to sustain drives early in games to get some momentum and not put themselves at a disadvantage.
We need to be concerned about the running game
The Eagles paid Ryan Mathews and DeMarco Murray over $50 million in the offseason. In this game, the two have combined for 56 yards on 13 carries. That's unacceptable. The interior of the offensive line has been the main issue, but Chip Kelly to figure out a way to run the football for his offense to be successful - and what they're doing now isn't working.
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