If the Washington Football Team wants to play in a postseason game for the first time in five years, it's perfectly clear what must be done: Beat the Eagles in Week 17.
While the goal is attainable, because of the Football Team's shaky performance in Week 16, combined with injury concerns for the season finale (Alex Smith, Antonio Gibson, Terry McLaurin all limited in practice Thursday), the game is in no way a "walk in the park."
Here is how Washington can beat the Eagles and win the NFC East in the process:
1. Air the ball out
The Washington Football Team has a tendency to have to come from behind after slow starts. This needs to stop. If Alex Smith plays, he will not be at full strength. The predictive play-calling needs to stop if this team wants to make a run in the postseason. Scott Turner's offense is as conservative as it gets.
The WFT has the lowest completed air yards per completion, 4.2, (CAY/Cmp) of any team in the NFL. Completed air yards per completion is defined as the amount of "yards the ball traveled in the air past the line of scrimmage prior to a completion." They do not throw the ball deep on a consistent basis and the opposing defense is well aware of it.
Make them stretch the field.
Because the offense doesn't try to throw the ball deep, it is no surprise that Washington has the third-lowest YBC (Yards Before Catch) total of any team in the league. The only two teams with less YBC are the Patriots and the Jets.
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay told local media this week the team has no interest in draft positioning with the playoffs no longer a possibility.
“We’re attacking,” said Slay. “We’re an attack team. We know what’s on the line. We don’t want anybody celebrating on our field wearing (NFC East champion) hats and T-shirts and stuff like that. We’re looking forward to going out and to mess up some dreams.”
2. Get to Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts has reinvigorated this team since taking over at quarterback three weeks ago. The former Oklahoma star helped the Eagles upset the New Orleans Saints and nearly brought them back into playoff contention.
Individually, he's been outstanding. Over the past three weeks, Hurts has thrown for 847 yards (282.3 yds per game) and has run for 238 yards (79.3 yds per game), giving the fanbase life after Carson Wentz struggled to get going all season.
Washington has struggled to defend mobile quarterbacks all year long, with the team losing to Arizona's Kyler Murray (54.4 rushing yards per game in 2020, 67 yds and 2 TDs vs. WAS) in Week 2, Baltimore's Lamar Jackson (64.9 rushing yards per game in 2020, 53 yds and TD vs WAS) in Week 4, and Seattle's Russell Wilson (32 rushing yards per game in 2020, 52 yds vs. WAS) in Week 15 this year.
Hurts' three-game splits should terrify Washington's defense, because if he runs rampant on Sunday night, it could end any chance the Burgundy and Gold have at playing in the postseason.