Washington Redskins Get Nine Against Philadelphia Eagles

NFL News - November 24th, 2009 - Written by John

With the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants both playing on Thanksgiving day, the Philadelphia Eagles will know exactly where they stand in the division by the time they take the field this week.

With a Cowboys loss, they will have the potential at a tie for the lead with a win on Sunday against the Washington Redskins. The team that several publications picked to make a deep run in the playoffs has had a rocky season, losing to the likes of the Oakland Raiders in Week Six, but remains tied with the Giants for second place.

Week 12 NFL Betting lines have Eagles favored by nine against Washington, according to BetUS, with a total of 40 1/2. Philadelphia is 6-2 ATS over the last eight home games, and both losses were upsets.

Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins are actually 7-3 ATS recently against the Eagles, although just 5-11 SU.

Philadelphia had to come back in the fourth quarter last week and get a late touchdown by LeSean McCoy to beat the Chicago Bears. But with the season winding down, quarterback Donovan McNabb made it clear that every win is important, even if it isn't overwhelmingly done.

"It wouldn't have mattered if we had won 3-2, this was a game we needed to come out and win by any means necessary," McNabb said after beating Chicago last Sunday night.

The Philadelphia Eagles are used to the pressure, playing two primetime games this year and going 1-1 in them. They're last game against the Redskins was a 27-17 handling on Monday Night Football, although the Redskins actually won the second half, 7-0.

That's kind of been the M.O. for Washington this year. Despite floundering in the first half of the season, it has been better over the last two weeks. It beat Denver 27-17, then followed up with a competitive game against Dallas in which Jason Campbell threw for 256 yards, his third-highest total all year. A late touchdown doomed the Redskins in a 7-6, but it is clear this is not the same team that was blown out by the Atlanta Falcons. In fact, of Washington's seven losses, four of them have been by six points or less, and one of them was by eight points.

With Clinton Portis already ruled out of the game from a concussion, and Ladell Betts out for the year with a shredded knee, third-stringer Rock Cartwright will likely get the majority of the carries. Philadelphia has the ninth-ranked rush defense in the league.