Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins (+7.5, 37)
Line movement
Bettors can’t get enough of the Eagles. Even after an upset in Oakland last week, people have been piling on Philadelphia. The Eagles opened as 5-point favorites, but the line has jumped two points to a full touchdown early in the week. Action on the under also has pushed the total down about 1.5-points to 37.
Getting defensive
Don’t be surprised to see Washington score a few points on the Eagles.
The Redskins will have a chance with all of the injuries to the Philadelphia defense. Defensive end Darren Howard is doubtful, opposite end Victor Abiamiri is out with a knee injury and starting inside linebacker Omar Gaither has just been sidelined with foot surgery to repair a fracture.
That’s awful news for the team’s linebackers, who already are without last year’s leading tackler Stewart Bradley. The middle of the team’s defense is so thin, it had to sign veteran Jeremiah Trotter and trade for the aging Will Witherspoon, who is expected to get the start this week after less than seven days with the team.
"It's been the defense I was expecting," Witherspoon told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I kind of had a general idea of what was going on. But there are some nuances and things that were different."
The weakest point of the Eagles defense is its ability to stop the run. The team is ranked just 15th in rushing defense, giving up 103.8 yards per game. With so many injuries to the front seven, look for the Redskins to pound the ball.
Where’s Westbrook?
You’d think a team with one of the best all-purpose backs in the NFL wouldn’t be ranked 20th in rushing.
But with Brian Westbrook nursing an ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2, coach Andy Reid has been reluctant to give him as many touches. Philly ran 46 pass plays compared to just 14 runs last week against the Raiders.
Westbrook, who had 50 yards on just six attempts in the loss, is getting frustrated.
"It's pretty hard to show people what you can do when you don't have the opportunities," Westbrook told the Associated Press. "I think as the season goes on, I will get those opportunities. And when I do, I think I'll show people that I can still play."
Philadelphia’s offense is ranked 12th overall in the league, but needs him in the backfield. So far this season, he has 38 carries for 184 yards with one score and 17 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.
“Trust me, you don’t want him with the ball in his hands,” Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray told the team’s website. “All of a sudden he catches the ball on the check down and the next thing you know he is gone.”
Who is Sherman Lewis?
For starters, he’s the man charged with turning around the dreadful Redskins offense.
Through six games, Washington is near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive category, averaging less than 300 yards and just 13.2 points per game.
After hanging only two field goals on the Chiefs in a horrible home loss last week, the team’s management forced head coach Jim Zorn to relinquish play calling duties to Lewis.
Lewis was hired as a consultant to the Skins earlier this season but hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2004 as an assistant with the Lions.
Will he make a difference? His peers think so, despite the fact he has been on the team’s staff for less than three weeks.
"He'll definitely help settle down Jason [Campbell], and he'll hold those receivers accountable," former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman told the Washington Post. "I've watched their games, and a lot of times you see receivers running extra routes to try to get open. That's not what the West Coast is all about.
“The offense is predicated on guys just running to their spot and giving the quarterback a chance to go through his progressions and make a play. You're supposed to run to a spot and sit in your spot. That's it."
So far, the only receiver making plays for the Skins is Santana Moss, who has 22 catches for 379 yards and two scores. But Lewis feels like he can help the team’s vertical game improve greatly by simply focusing on the little things.
The Eagles are ranked fifth in the league against the pass, allowing fewer than 180 yards per game.
"The way you teach routes hasn't changed,” Lewis told the Washington Post. “The deep-over is still the deep-over. The dagger route is still the dagger. The shadow cross, the drive route -- they call it different things, but it's still the same route. I've taught it for years."
Trends
This game is a huge mismatch of styles: The Eagles love to score points and attack with a relentless defense that is vulnerable to the big play while the Redskins rely on an underrated stopper unit.
Philly’s over/under record is a sparkling 4-1, compared to the Redskins, who are 1-5 against the total. Considering the Eagles scored only nine points in a loss at Oakland last week, the under might be a solid consideration. Overall, the under is 8-2-1 in the team’s past 11 meetings.
Philadelphia has a history of playing conservatively on Monday night. The under is 13-6-3 in the Eagles’ past 22 weekday prime-time games.
Washington is 1-4-1 ATS this year and 1-8 ATS in their past nine home games. Still, the Redskins have fared well against their division rival. They’re 6-2-1 ATS in their past nine meetings with the Eagles.
Weather
You couldn’t ask for a better night for football in southern Maryland – a light, six mph breeze, around 55 degrees and a zero percent chance of precipitation.