Fight for Old DC: December 23, 2012
The last time the Washington Redskins had a chance at the division title and faced the Philadelphia Eagles, it was Week 16 in the 2012 season. The Redskins took a trip a few hours north where they were attempting an unlikely feat: winning their sixth game in a row after a 3-6 start.
Robert Griffin III, who suffered an LCL sprain after a brutal hit from Haloti Ngata in Week 14, returned to the field after Kirk Cousins took over the week before, and the offense put up 27 points against their division rival. However, they struggled with consistency, and the team did not manage to get the ball across the endzone or through the uprights in the first and fourth quarters. The defense, which forced two turnovers (including a London Fletcher interception), held the Eagles to 20 points. The road win set the team up for a Week 17 show down against the Dallas Cowboys, when they would finish off an impressive seven game winning streak to clinch the NFC East title.
Modern Day State of Affairs: December 26, 2015
This season brings another Week 16 match-up between Washington and Philadelphia with a division title on the horizon. The Redskins are in control of their destiny in this meaningful December game, and if they win, they will be the NFC East champs, regardless of the results from their Week 17 game against Dallas, who has already been eliminated from playoff contention this year.
Washington won the first time these two teams faced off this season, a Week 4 game with a final score of 23-20, and the team is in better shape now than they were then. In the first few weeks of the season, fans and the media were questioning the head coach and the quarterback. In recent weeks, the team may not be perfect, but they're clicking. Cousins is depending on the talent around him, and, for the most part, that talent is stepping up. Jordan Reed is healthy and dominant, Pierre Garcon is a dependable target, and DeSean Jackson has started to again make a difference in recent games. Assuming Jackson's health holds up, fans can expect him to come out with a little bit of fire this week; there's always extra incentive when you stand across the field from a team that willingly let you go.
And the winner is...
The Washington Redskins, in spite of what Mychal Kendricks is guaranteeing. The Redskins will need to overcome some issues, including their abysmal road record and lingering traces of inconsistency, but I believe this is a team with the drive and the talent to finish out the season in strong fashion. As Cousins said last week, it's time to "be sharp, be penalty free," and "punch this in."