The Philadelphia Eagles are two years removed from the franchise's first Super Bowl win. In 2018, they finished second in the NFC East and earned a Wild Card spot in the NFC Playoffs. The Eagles traveled to Chicago for the Wild Card round and took home a win thanks to a last-second missed field goal by the Bears. The next week in New Orleans, the Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but were not able to hold on.
The Eagles have committed to Carson Wentz as their quarterback. In 2019, they are the current favorites to win the division and make the playoffs for the third year in a row. They will open their schedule at home against the Washington Redskins. This is a chance for Philly to jump out to a quick start.
When they take the field on Sunday, these are three players to keep an eye on against Washington.
3. Carson Wentz
Wentz might be the most reliable player on the Eagles, while also being the one to worry about most. He signed a four-year extension to remain in Philadelphia. He has struggled with injuries since entering the league. During the Eagles' Super Bowl run, Wentz was on the sideline with a torn ACL. Last season, Wentz missed his second straight postseason run.
Heading into 2019, the Eagles do not have Nick Foles as a backup option. If Wentz goes down, there is no Super Bowl MVP waiting behind him to take over. The Redskins have a young, tough defense. On the line, they feature Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Ryan Kerrigan, and Montez Sweat. Those are four dynamic pass rushers for Wentz to worry about.
It is important that the Eagles' offensive line plays a good game and keeps Wentz upright. He will need to remain healthy if the Eagles want to make another run for a Super Bowl title.
2. Miles Sanders
The Eagles drafted Miles Sanders with the 53rd overall pick of the draft out of Penn State. The run game in Philly was in question heading into the draft, but drafting Sanders and trading for Jordan Howard immediately fixed that.
Sanders became the starting running back for the Nittany Lions after Saquon Barkley left for the NFL. He took the opportunity and ran with it. Sanders finished with 1,274 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. This earned him a high draft pick and a spot on one of the best teams in the NFC.
Sanders will not be the No. 1 running back for the Eagles. Howard will get a bulk of the carries, especially near the goal line. Sanders is a back that can be used in many ways. He was a strong runner at Penn State and he can be used as a receiver. Howard and Sanders being successful will open up the passing game for Wentz. Howard is proven. Sanders is a rookie and no one knows what to expect.
Week 1 against the Redskins will be his first action in the NFL. Eagles' fans will be watching closely to see what kind of player they drafted in the second round.
1. Eagles' Secondary
This is not one player to keep an eye on, it is an entire part of the defense. The Eagles' were plagued by injuries in their secondary last season. Avonte Maddox, Ronald Darby, and Malcolm Jenkins all missed time with injuries which caused the Eagles' defense to struggle.
When they won the Super Bowl, the Eagles featured one of the best defenses in football. The same feel was there at the beginning of 2018, but injuries took the air out of that balloon quickly. Philadelphia traded Michael Bennett to the New England Patriots and Chris Long decided to retire. With less firepower up front, it is even more important for the secondary to remain healthy. Against the Redskins, the Eagles should have no trouble.
Washington does not have receivers that can beat a team individually. Their entire unit as a whole is poor. For the Eagles, they will look to bully the Redskins early and often. If the front seven can put pressure on Case Keenum, the Eagles should have no problem stopping the questionable Redskins' offense.
This game will be the beginning of what Philadelphia hopes is a long playoff run.
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