Five questions facing the Redskins as they host the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday:
1. How will Robert Griffin III perform? The perpetual question is dusted off again this week as Griffin steps back in as the Redskins’ quarterback. Griffin, who replaced an injured Colt McCoy against the Giants on Sunday, played well enough at times to think he can be the player management hopes he can be. The task, then, will be for the coaching staff to keep him out of the obvious passing situations where he has struggled.
2. Can the Redskins get their wide receivers involved? Frustrations have been peaking in recent weeks as the quarterback carousel has affected DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and the Redskins’ receiving threats. Coach Jay Gruden has said for weeks that he wants to get the ball to Garcon more frequently, while Jackson had just three receptions against the Giants.
3. Will LeSean McCoy again be bottled up? Washington’s run defense restricted McCoy, the league’s fourth-leading rusher, to 22 yards on 19 carries in Week 3. McCoy has since surpassed 100 rushing yards on three occasions, though he’s only run for four touchdowns this season.
4. What will the emotions be like? A fourth-quarter brawl between the two teams on Sept. 21, triggered when Redskins nose tackle Chris Baker hit Eagles quarterback Nick Foles from behind, may have heightened the excitement between the two sides for this game. That, plus Jackson facing his former team — again — could lead to chippiness.
5. Can the Redskins play spoiler? A loss by the Eagles significantly lessens their chances of qualifying for the postseason. The Redskins’ 37-34 road loss in the first matchup, when they seemed poised for a breakout season, seems so distant.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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