The Eagles season has been one of highs and low with one consistent factor being true throughout each game. In the teams five wins this year, they have rushed for an average of 126.8 YPG which I believe plays a huge factor in the outcomes of their games. Being able to run the ball consistently does a few things to help out the team.
First off, it lets you keep the ball and add to your time of possession which allows you to dictate the tempo of the game. Second, you help your own offense off by being able to use the run to set up the pass. The play action with Carson is a huge aspect of his game being able to set up deep passes too Jeffery, Tate, and Ertz of course. The final part of having a fantastic ground game is going to keep the others team offense off the field. The redskins won’t be able to score if they don’t have the ball, which will allow out defensive front to be fresh and be bale to get after Colt McCoy. These 3 factors all will tie whether or not the Eagles can come out victorious tonight.
On the other side of the Eagles season when we take a look at their losses thus far, having a non existent running game has hurt them tremendously. From not establishing the run or even giving up on the run show that it truly effects the eagles offensive production. In the teams abysmal 6 losses this year the running game might has been back in the Andy Reid era. 6 games, 6 losses, and a whopping 79.3 YPG for the rushing attack. The one outlier being that the Titans game we rushed for 117 yards, but we won’t go down that road because I don’t want to be sick for the rest of the day. I truthfully think that if the eagles are able to run the ball tonight, then we will be able to get the outcome that we are looking for tonight.
Now with all this being said thus far, the Redskins come into the game as the 8th best team in stopping the run. They are giving up just around 100 YPG which is good for the eagles right? But it gets better! In their last 3 games, they have been giving up 130 YPG! Do you know what this means? This means that Birds are going to be able to pound the rock for four quarters and dictate the tempo of the game. I think Josh Adams is going to have a HUGE game tonight at the Linc as the men up front are going to open up plenty of lanes for him to run through.
With being able to establish the running game like I mentioned earlier, it will help take the pressure out of #11 hands. Carson is always looking to make plays any time he steps on the field. I believe that we’ve asked a ton out of Carson when it comes to the offense. When the rushing game isn’t there, we expect him to play at the level he did last year and be a human highlight machine every Sunday. But if we’re able to run the ball, good things will happen. Wentz is at 74.7% when it comes to completions and 71.6% on play-action completions. These numbers will improve also if the running game is cooking like it needs to be. Both numbers are well in the top 10 of the league and extremely efficient. The running game is the common back bone as to how the eagles offense attacks.
I expect the coaching staff to ride Josh Adams all the way up Broad street as the Birds will capture win #6 tonight and set up a huge date in Dallas next Sunday. A heavy dose of Adams and with sprinkling in Clement on third down will be the key to success tonight. Eagles 27- Washington 10.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
