NFL Football Week 2 - Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles Monday 8:30 PM EST
The Eagles are 7-point favorites with the total currently at 38.5 at sportsbook.com.
Since 2005, HC Andy Reid's teams have always played well in divisional games. In fact, a year ago, Philadelphia was 5-1 SU & ATS in divisional play, the fifth year in the last six that they won at least five games vs. their closest rivals.
Against Washington, the Eagles hold a 9-2 SU & 7-4 ATS edge in the L11 games of the h2h series. However, Reid's club is just 4-8 ATS in its L8 as home chalk.
The Redskins, a 16-13 OT winner in week 1, will look to turn around their NFC East struggles. They were just 1-5 SU & ATS in that scenario last year.
Redskins must feel good following a three-point win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, but in those results sit reason for trepidation.
The Skins were atrocious in 2006 but went on their annual spending spree in free agency to reverse the trend, and the Fins should not be used as an objective measuring stick.
The Skins' defense held Miami to just 3.3 yards per carry, not so difficult when you attempt just 20 rushes but impressive nonetheless. On offense, QB Jason Campbell failed to impress with just 12 completions for 222 yards and two interceptions versus zero TDs.
The rushing numbers were great, averaging 4.7 yards per carry for 191 total rushing yards. The defense was adequate but failed to force but one turnover and earned just two sacks against an aging QB protected by one of the more questionable offensive lines in the game.
The Eagles were expected to once again serve as a model for others to follow, hitting the 2007 season as a favorite to battle for the NFC title.
While it is just one week of work, it may be fair to take the results of Week 1 and turn them into worry. Against a steady but somewhat questionable Green Bay defense, QB Donovan McNabb completed just 45% of his passes for 184 yards and one TD.
The rushing attack also struggled, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry (29 carries for 103 yards). However, on defense the effort was strong and should have been enough to avoid the three-point win.
The Eagles earned four sacks and were relentless in pursuit of the QB, holding the Packers to a lowly 2.7 yards per carry as well. Those efforts should have produced better results.
Key Trend - Philadelphia is 35-8 ATS (+26.2 Units) when they rush for 125 to 150 yards since 1992.
The Redskins allowed a horrific 137.3 rushing yards per game last season, including a combined total of 244 rushing yards in their two divisional matchups.
Philadelphia RB Brian Westbrook averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season and appears to be hitting the peak years of his career. At home on Monday night, look for Westbrook to shine and continue the trends.
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