Redskins Weekly – Recapping Win Over Eagles & Previewing Falcons game

1- I was completely shocked by the Redskins win over the Eagles Sunday. 

I thought the Eagles were going to start making a move in the division and I was wrong.  They are a mess.  A mess like we have seen here for years and it was nice to be on the winning side of this for once.  Everyone has talked about Kirk Cousins so I think you all have heard enough on how well he played.

I am most impressed by Jamison Crowder I think for stepping in for the ineffective Andre Roberts.  Crowder, Ross and Grant all gave the Redskins great efforts while missing DeSean Jackson.  In the end it was Garcon who won the game but I feel the play I was most impressed with was Crowder going up between two Eagles and taking the ball.

I think the play in the game of both lines should be commended.  If the defense had a Chris Culliver playing at least 90% it would have been a St. Louis like performance.  But he was 60-70% and Bradford was able to get him a multiple times.  I don’t know if sitting Culliver though would have been better due to the awful depth this team sits at in the secondary.

Big ups to two guys for their play on Sunday.  Spencer and Swaggy stepped up.  Everyone was terrified of Spencer Long getting his first start and he held up.  As for Chris Baker it was great to see a lineman being able to get to the quarterback.  Something they will be desperate for in Atlanta.

2- After all the excitement of being 2-2 and tied for first place in the NFC East wears off this week we have to look at how depleted two positions are now. 

First the tight end position is a mess if Jordan Reed can’t go on Sunday, which I expect him not to.  Not having Niles Paul and Reed leaves the Redskins with not much at that spot.  Derek Carrier and Anthony McCoy weren’t on this roster 6 or 7 weeks ago and now will have to carry the load.  This was always a fear when you bank the position on the fragile Reed who Chris Paul made a good point that Reed should invest into his own injury cart and pimp it out.  I still wonder if a guy like a struggling Vernon Davis could be had for cheap?

The tight end position is a mess but the secondary could be worse now.  And this week’s opponent isn’t Navy or Air Force unfortunately or doesn’t have Tebow behind center.  If Culliver can’t make a miraculous recovery then Joe Barry is really gonna have to earn his loot this week.  Because what he will be working with ain’t pretty.  I almost wonder if a tough guy like Garcon could play some corner if Desean is back at receiver.  Something in the scheme is going to have to slow down the Falcons because I just can’t see the matchups outside being favorable.

3- As for this week I shouldn’t even pick because I had both the Rams and Eagles easily beating the Redskins. 

But this week we have seen Atlanta play four times and win four times and be impressive.  If Hall and Culliver were healthy I would feel better about this one.  But they are not.  I do think the Redskins can play well on offense and continue to control the clock enough to keep it interesting.  I am going to say Atlanta 38-24.