The defining moment in the NFC East championship race may in fact come in this matchup.
If the Washington Redskins win, they will be crowned as the titleholder.
But if it's is the Philadelphia Eagles that win, well, a bunch of scenarios will emerge.
Regardless of the final outcome, you are in for a treat for this Saturday matchup between these two teams desperately trying to get that guaranteed playoff spot. Here are the three key points for each team.
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REDSKINS
Look DeSean Jackson's way
Kirk Cousins has done an excellent job with spreading the ball among his receivers, and he's utilized tight end Jordan Reed extremely well over the last couple of games. But the Eagles have been excellent at shutting down tight-end production all year, allowing just 603 yards and three touchdowns this entire season to opposing TEs. That's just 40 yards per game. But with starting cornerback Nolan Carroll on the injured reserve, fellow starter Bryon Maxwell (shoulder) listed as questionable and rookie Eric Rowe just returning to practice after a concussion, the Eagles may have to resort to rolling with no-names E.J. Biggers and Jaylen Watkins in the secondary a bit more than usual. That means DeSean Jackson, coming off of a six-reception, 156-yard game against the Buffalo Bills, will likely be able to find space. Plus, Jackson has played well against his former team. In two games, he has 243 yards and a touchdown.
Blitz Sam Bradford early and often
The last time the Redskins played the Eagles, Washington's defense was able to get to Sam Bradford, sacking him five times. The Redskins, of course, won the game 23-20. The Eagles record when they hold opposing defenses to one sack or less on Bradford? 6-2. When they allow two or more sacks, the Eagles have a 0-4 record. And Bradford's completion percentage dips dramatically against the blitz, all the way to 48.6 percent.
Watch for dump passes
The Redskins already do a pretty excellent job when it comes to defending opposing teams' tight ends, so Zach Ertz may not be Bradford's safety blanket. And while Bradford did an excellent job at finding Jordan Matthews last game (eight catches for 159 yards and a touchdown) against the Arizona Cardinals, the Eagles QB will more than likely look for his three running backs, Darren Sproles, Ryan Mathews or DeMarco Murray (if he actually sees snaps), for a wheel route out of the backfield. Sproles has been the team's third-most targeted player in the passing game, behind only Matthews and Ertz.
EAGLES
Establish a running game
When Chip Kelly and his offense turn toward a running game, they win. The Eagles have rushed for over 100 yards in eight games this year. When they rush for over 100 yards, they are 6-2, but when they don't rush for 100 yards, they are 0-6. If Kelly doesn't want to roll with a feature back, he doesn't have to. If he splits the carries between Sproles, Mathews and Murray however he sees fit, the Eagles should find success.
Play conservative defensively
Kirk Cousins is very good at passing the ball under pressure, completing 68.2 percent of his passes against the blitz, good for the highest percentage in the league. And with Maxwell potentially out of the lineup, the Eagles can't afford to rush guys towards Cousins with an already weak secondary. Nickel and dime formations may serve the Eagles well.
Force some punts
The Redskins are a team brimming with confidence on every side of the ball, and they will be tough for the Eagles to beat both offensively and defensively. But the Eagles may have a true advantage when it comes to special teams. Sproles, named to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist this week, has averaged 12.4 yards per return and returned two punts for touchdowns this season. That's the highest return average in the NFL. The Redskins have allowed 10.2 yards per punt return, the 10th-highest in the NFL. If Philadelphia can get some space for Sproles, he is capable of making a play, and the Redskins may have a difficult time putting a stop to him.
