Can The Eagles Get Back On Track?

We need a big game from MV7 this Sunday

I honestly think the answer to the title of this article is still up in the air.  Even at 1-4, the Eagles are not dead yet.  Things may look pretty dark and gloomy right now but the Eagles still have life.  Forget about the typical 11-5 or 10-6 records that are typical playoff records, because I think it's highly unlikely that the Eagles go 11-5 or 10-6.  Focus instead on what the Eagles need to do to win this division.

First off here are the standings.  Right now the Redskins are in first place with a 3-1 record.  The Giants are in second at 3-2, followed by the Cowboys in third place at 2-2.  The Eagles still have 7 division games remaining including 2 games against the first place Redskins.  Their second division game and first against the Skins will be this Sunday.  Heading into the bye week, the Eagles need to scrap and do whatever they can to get a victory.  2-4 heading into the bye week is bad but certainly manageable. I'm not even going to get into whether or not this week's match up is a must win.  I think at this point every game remaining is a must win.  So instead of looking to the schedule beyond the bye, the Eagles need to focus completely on this weekend's extremely important division game.

The key to an Eagles victory this week is going to be the big play home run threat that enabled the Eagles to win big time against the Skins last year.  While this current Redskins team is clearly a different team, the Eagles still need to resort back to utilizing Desean down field.  Offensively the Eagles also need to do a better job of not only getting Shady more carries but also clearing lanes for him to run as well.  The run opens up the pass, and I think Shady is due for a big touchdown run.

The real key to victory this week is going to be the Eagles defense.  They need to fill the gaps on the line and the linebackers need to step up and stop the run.  I really hope that the Eagles get away from the wide 9.  While I know that it's highly unlikely that they will completely eradicate it, they need to get back to running the majority of defensive plays with a traditional defensive front.  In the secondary, Castillo needs to utilize the talent he has and not try to place them in situations where they won't succeed.

Most importantly the Eagles HAVE to limit their turnovers.  The Eagles turned the ball over 5 times last week!  You simply can't expect to win when you are handing your opponent the ball 5 extra times.  Take care of the ball, and don't give the Redskins any extra chances.

This weekend's game is very winnable for the Eagles.  I think right now their biggest problem is they are trying to win the season back in one big play.  The Eagles need to focus not just on taking this season game by game, but more specifically play by play.  On offense move the chains and hang onto the ball.  If you have to settle for a field goal, that is better than forcing a bad throw and having it picked off.  Run the ball, set up the pass, and get back to the basics.  On defense don't go for the big sacks, interceptions, or tackles for loss.  Keep the offense in front of you and focus on forcing 3 and outs and field goals.

This season is far from over.  At 1-4 the Eagles still have a chance to turn things around especially with a schedule with 7 division games remaining.  The key to the turn around will be a victory against the first place Redskins this Sunday.