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Eagles-Redskins scouting report

When the Eagles have the ball The big change to the Eagles offense will come at right tackle, where rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai replaces the suspended Lane Johnson. The line has been a strength this season because of the way Johnson has played, so his ab

When the Eagles have the ball

The big change to the Eagles offense will come at right tackle, where rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai replaces the suspended Lane Johnson. The line has been a strength this season because of the way Johnson has played, so his absence could affect both the running and passing games. The good news for the Eagles is they're playing against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. Washington allows 130 rushing yards per game and a league-worst 5.1 yards per carry. If there was ever a game for Ryan Mathews to break out, it's this one. Mathews, who missed practice Friday because of an illness, is averaging only 3.3 yards per carry. The Eagles could get Kenjon Barner and Wendell Smallwood more involved, but they're committed to using Mathews and Darren Sproles as the lead backs. The Redskins have a big defensive line with former Eagle Cullen Jenkins in the middle flanked by veterans Ziggy Hood and Chris Baker, but their inside linebackers are not a strength.

In the passing game, Vaitai has a tough assignment with Ryan Kerrigan rushing on his side. But it's not just Kerrigan – Trent Murphy and Preston Smith are also tough pass rushers. Murphy has 41/2 sacks this season, and Kerrigan has 21/2 sacks. Carson Wentz must be aware of the pass rush and know where he can dump the ball off if needed. This is a gamein which tight end Zach Ertz could thrive. Two of the best games of his career have come against Washington, including a 13-catch, 122-yard effort last December. Opposing tight ends have had seven catches against the Redskins in each of the last two games. The marquee player on the Redskins pass defense is cornerback Josh Norman, who usually plays on the left side. Unless they move him, he will spend most of his time covering Nelson Agholor. Wentz could look for Jordan Matthews, who will likely be covered by rookie Kendall Fuller in the slot. Washington has lost both of its starting safeties, making it susceptible in the secondary. The Redskins have kept their last two opponents to fewer than three touchdowns after allowing at least 27 points in the first three games.

When the Redskins have the ball

Kirk Cousins has excelled in three starts against the Eagles, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 1,082 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception. However, those performances came against a different defensive scheme. The Eagles will try to stop Cousins with Jim Schwartz's 4-3 defense and rebound from their first loss, in which they allowed three first-half touchdowns. Schwartz said the key matchup would be the Eagles' defensive line against the Redskins' offensive line. Washington left tackle Trent Williams is among the best in the NFL and will be a difficult challenge for Connor Barwin and Vinny Curry. Curry could see more playing time after having only a limited role last week. Fletcher Cox is questionable, but he's expected to play. He'll be blocked by Redskins right guard Brandon Scherff, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Cox has four sacks in four games this season.

Cousins' top target is tight end Jordan Reed, but he has been ruled out with a concussion. That's a break for the Eagles – Reed is one of the best tight ends in the NFL with 33 catches for 316 yards and two touchdowns this season, and he hurt the Eagles last season. Former Eagle DeSean Jackson remains a dangerous deep threat, although he has only 18 catches. Jackson plays on the same side as Eagles cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who is questionable with a hamstring injury. A balky hamstring is difficult to overcome against Jackson's speed, and rookie Jalen Mills could draw the assignment if McKelvin can't go. Safety Rodney McLeod must play with the proper depth to help the cornerback on the deep ball. McLeod, a Maryland native, has two interceptions this season and also has two interceptions in three games in his home state in his career.

Look for how the Eagles handle running back Chris Thompson in the screen game and slot receiver Jamison Crowder in the middle of the field – both could be quick targets for Cousins, and the Eagles defense is susceptible to screens because of its aggressiveness. The Redskins' top running back is Matt Jones, who is averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Jones is 6-foot-2 and 232 pounds and a physical rusher, but he has only one game with more than 17 carries and 65 yards. He has also fumbled twice this season and had four fumbles last season, so the Eagles should be more aggressive trying to strip the ball.

Big Number

64

Even though the Eagles lost last week, they are still outscoring opponents by 64 points this season. That point differential remains the best in the NFL. The Eagles' only loss came by one point, but they have won three games by an average of 21.67 points. They have scored 115 points and allowed 51. The last time the Eagles held opponents to 51 or fewer points through four games was 1992, when opposing offenses were held to 34 points. The Minnesota Vikings – next week's opponent – are second in the NFL at plus-56. The Redskins are 3-2 after winning their last three games, but they are negative-7 in point differential this season.

Predictions

Zach Berman: Eagles 28, Redskins 24

Jeff McLane: Eagles 30, Redskins 27