Looking Back: 2014 Redskins vs. Eagles

Fight for Old DC: Week 3 and Week 16, 2014

The Washington Redskins split the match-ups with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2014 season, with a field goal making the difference in both Week 3 and Week 16.

The Redskins went into the Week 3 game with a 1-1 record, but the loss to Philly started them on a four week losing streak.  In his homecoming against his former team, DeSean Jackson tallied 5 catches for 117 yards and one touchdown.  Kirk Cousins was at the helm against Nick Foles, and the game got sloppy and ugly at times with a fight resulting from a Chris Baker hit against Foles, leading to two ejections (Baker and Jason Peters), a kickoff returned for a touchdown in the first quarter by the Eagles, and a missed field goal by Kai Forbath.  At the end of the day, the scoreboard read 37-34, Eagles.

In the Week 16 game, different quarterbacks were under center for both teams.  Robert Griffin III was back on the field for the Redskins after Colt McCoy had a neck injury after Week 15, and Mark Sanchez led the Eagles.  Special teams made a difference again, though this time they negatively impacted the Eagles with kicker Cody Parkey missed two field goals.  Penalties also told a tale of two teams; the Redskins, known for their penalty issues, held themselves in check and earned only three penalties for 15 yards.  The Eagles, however, received 13 penalties for a total of 102 yards.   When all was said and done, this time the score tipped in favor of the Redskins: 27-24.

Current State of Affairs: Week 4, 2015

This week, the Redskins take the field against the Eagles in what is likely to be a rainy, messy game.  There's been yet another change in quarterbacks, this time with Kirk Cousins leading the burgundy and gold and Sam Bradford leading the Birdgang.  The Redskins are coming off a rough 21-32 loss to the New York Giants on Thursday night.  The Giants were 0-2 coming into the game, and Washington fans expected a win but ended up having flashbacks of the 14-45 thrashing from the year before.  After the first two weeks, it seemed like the Redskins may be looking forward to playing the sluggish Eagles, but Philadelphia showed up against the New York Jets last week and proved they are not a team to be taken lightly this early in the season.  The question is, which two teams will show up on Sunday?  There seem to be as many questions about that as there are questions about the track Hurricane Joaquin will take as it heads our way this weekend.

And the winner is...

last season's Redskins.  Fans have to be happy with a split series in a season where the team only pulled together four wins.  This season, will the team even manage to go 1-1 against this division rival?  I can completely understand why fans wouldn't have much confidence in that prospect, and I guess we'll see after this weekend and when the two teams face off again in Philly on Saturday, December 26.