(AP photo)

Since 1934 the Redskins and Eagles have squared off 156 times and unlike the heated rivalry with the Cowboys and the longstanding tension with the Giants, the Redskins have won over 50 percent of their games against their Pennsylvania counterparts.

Similar to the inaugural installment of Redskins-Eagles in 1934, the Redskins swept in 2012 thanks to a clipping of the Eagles wings in a 31-6 victory in Week 11 and a seven point victory in Week 16 that sprung them into a do-or-die matchup with the Cowboys a week later.

While the Eagles had been the Redskins worst nightmare throughout the early 2000’s, one man didn’t even blink when Philly came to town last year–Robert Griffin III.

Going into the Bye Week the Redskins sat in the cellar of the NFC East and it seemed as if Redskins Nation would have to wait out another long winter before having the chance to see playoff football.

No. 10, however, was having none of that.

After the Eagles won the coin toss at the start of their Week 11 battle they eagerly elected to receive hoping to catch the Redskins D off-balance after two weeks away from game action. After gaining only two yards on their first two plays, the Eagles looked to air it out on the Redskins only to have DeAngelo Hall snag his third interception of the season.

What was next for the Redskins seemed like a scene out of Madden.

Griffin III would connect on 14 of his 15 pass attempts for the first perfect quarterback rating (158.3) by a rookie since Drew Bledsoe in 1993, Santana Moss would take two defensive backs to school, and Brandon Meriweather showed the FedExField faithful just how good he can be even if it was a one game sample.

The 31-6 victory showed the league that the Redskins weren’t going to roll over and call the season a lost cause. Instead, it jump-started their unimaginable seven-game winning streak into the playoffs.

Win six of that streak may have provided the most nerve-racking moment of the season.

Late in the fourth quarter of the Redskins-Eagles Week 16 matchup, the Eagles got the ball with less than five minutes left down by seven. With nothing left to play for on the season, the Eagles cared less about tying the game at 27. If they were to steal some of the Redskins late-game heroics and score a touchdown, they were going to go for the win.

On the last play of the game Eagles quarterback Nick Foles tried to do his best Griffin III impression by scrambling out of the pocket to find some free space to hit one of his receiver in the end zone.

But with a 310-pound Stephen Bowen breathing down his back Foles had no choice but to get rid of the football—nowhere near an Eagles player. The result was an intentional grounding call and a 10 second clock runoff.

Game over.

For more highlights of the Redskins sweep of the Eagles, check out this gallery of the top-12 images from their 155^th and 156^th encounters.

Hail to the Redskins!

(AP photo)

The Washington Redskins are one win away from an NFC East title.

The Redskins — now winners of six straight — defeated the host Philadelphia Eagles 27-20 today at Lincoln Financial Field, setting up a battle for the division title next Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField.

The win also ensures a winning regular-season record for Washington (9-6) for the first time since the 2007 season.

Here’s some key plays from each drive in the wild fourth quarter:

CONTINUING EAGLES DRIVE:

2nd and 7 <35: Nick Foles’ pass intended for Riley Cooper is caught, but out of bounds.
3rd and 7 <35: Barry Cofield forces a wild Foles pass, which lands incomplete.
4th and 7 <35: Punt is returned 20 yards by Richard Crawford with a 10-yard holding penalty.

REDSKINS ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 >25: Alfred Morris carries the ball for two yards.
2nd and 8 >27: Griffin III fakes to Morris and finds tight end Logan Paulsen for a six-yard pass-and-catch.
3rd and 2 >33: Griffin III finds tight end Chris Cooley on a similar play for eight yards and the first down. That was Cooley’s first reception of the season, and first catch since Week 5 against Philadelphia last season.
1st and 10 >41: Morris gets two yards on the run.
2nd and 8 >43: Griffin III’s pass intended for Joshua Morgan is tipped across the middle and intercepted by Colt Anderson.

EAGLES ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 <39: Foles is flushed out of the pocket by cornerback DeAngelo Hall and throws the ball into the ground.
2nd and 10 <39: Brent Brown carries the ball for three yards.
3rd and 7 <42: Foles’ pass is complete to Damaris Johnson for a 10-yard gain and the first down.
1st and 10 >48: Foles finds Jason Avant for a 10-yard pass-and-catch and another first down.
1st and 10 >38: McCoy breaks free for a 21-yard gain before Lorenzo Alexander gets a shoestring tackle.
1st and 10 17> :Running back Dion Lewis breaks free for a 17-yard touchdown run.

8:55: Redskins 27, Eagles 20; Scoring drive: Six plays, 61 yards, 2:32.

Kickoff: Tight end Niles Paul takes it 21 yards to the Washington 20.

REDSKINS ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 >20: Griffin III pitches to Morris, who breaks free for 14 yards. Nice hole there by the offensive line.
2nd and 6 >38: After a four-yard gain by Morris, Griffin III finds Morgan across the middle for a 10-yard gain and a first down.
2st and 8 ><50: After a two-yard run by Morris, he gets the call again for two yards.
3rd and 6 <48: Griffin III finds Pierre Garcon, who gets five yards (after a measurement).
4th and 1 <43: The Redskins try to catch the Eagles’ defense on a hard count, but Philly doesn’t bite. They take a delay of game penalty.
4th and 6 <48: Sav Rocca’s punt is fair-caught at the 15-yard line.

EAGLES ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 <15: Foles finds Johnson on a three-yard pass that barely evaded the outstretched arms of Ryan Kerrigan.
2nd and 7 <18: Foles scrambles to find Maclin for an 18-yard gain.
2nd and 5 >42: McCoy gets three yards on a carry.
3rd and 2 >45: McCoy evades tacklers and gets six yards and a first down, heading into the two-minute warning.
1st and 10 >49: Foles completes a pass to Maclin for six yards.
2nd and 4 >43: McCoy with another catch and another first down, this time for seven yards.
1st and 10 >36: McCoy with another catch and a three-yard gain. Timeout Eagles.
2nd and 7 >33: Foles finds Avant for three yards before he’s hit head-on by Hall.
3rd and 4 >30: Foles takes off and slides for five yards and the first down at the 25.
1st and 10 >25: McCoy, again, with the catch. This time for eight yards.
2nd and 2 >17: Foles’ pass sails out of the back of the end zone.
3rd and 2 >17: Foles had Maclin wide open in the end zone, but the pass skipped in front of him. Huge break for Washington — at this moment.
4th and 2 >17: Foles, in the shotgun with McCoy to his right, drops back and hits his running back for a 12-yard gain before getting out of bounds with 11 seconds left.
1st and Goal >5: Foles tries to find Evan Moore for a quick strike, and the ball pops out and falls incomplete. Madieu Williams nearly had an interception there.
2nd and Goal >5: Foles is pressured heavily by defensive end Stephen Bowen and throws the ball into the ground. His pass did not get to the line of scrimmage, and he is called for an illegal forward pass, which ends the game on a 10-second run-off.

Wow.

CHIME IN: What are YOUR thoughts from today’s game? Feel free to comment below.

(AP photo)

The Washington Redskins’ defense helped steal the momentum from the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half of today’s game.

The Washington offense, meanwhile, took that momentum and ran with it to begin the second half, needing just five plays to find the end zone on its opening drive.

It kept that momentum going throughout the rest of the third quarter, and, heading into the fourth, the Redskins lead the Eagles, 27-13.

Here’s some key plays from each drive of the third quarter:

Kickoff: Taken to the 28-yard line.

REDSKINS FIRST DRIVE OF THE HALF:

1st and 10 <28: Griffin III’s pass is complete to Pierre Garcon for a gain of 29 yards. Nice timing by Griffin III, and great route by Garcon.
1st and 10 >43: Alfred Morris carries the ball to his left for a gain of nine yards.
2nd and 1 >34: Morris on the toss from Griffin III gains three yards for the first down.
1st and 10 >31: Griffin III finds tight end Niles Paul for a gain of 21 yards.
1st and Goal >9: Morris takes it in nine yards for the touchdown, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor for total touchdowns by a rookie in a season (10).
Extra point: Kick by Kai Forbath is good.

12:33: Redskins 20, Eagles 10: Scoring drive: Five plays, 72 yards, 2:27.

Kickoff: Touchback.

EAGLES ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 >20: Foles finds Jeremy Maclin wide open for 38 yards. Foles was flushed out of the pocket and Maclin was able to break free.
1st and 10 <42: Foles finds Riley Cooper for an 18-yard gain across the middle.
1st and 10 <24: Foles to Maclin for five yards.
2nd and 5 <19: LeSean McCoy carries the ball for six yards and a first down.
1st and 10 <13: Foles carries the ball for one yard before being pulled down by outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan.
2nd and 9 <12: Foles is sacked immediately by safety Madieu Williams — his first of the season and first with Washington. Williams was untouched; nice play call by defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.
3rd and 16 <19: Foles finds tight end Brent Celek for an seven-yard gain on a screen pass.
4th and 9 <12: 30-yard field goal attempt by Alexn Henery is good.

8:01: Redskins 20, Eagles 13; Scoring drive: Eight plays, 68 yards, 4:32.

Kickoff: Touchback.

REDSKINS ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 <20: The Redskins try to get tricky on a fake reverse, and Griffin III throws the ball into the ground. It’s originally called a sack and a forced fumble on a backwards pass, which was picked up by Santana Moss at the three-yard line. Washington challenges the call, but the ruling on the field is confirmed. Heads up play by Moss.
2nd and 27 <3: Morris takes the handoff and gets five yards.
3rd and 22 <8: Washington tries a screen pass to Moss, who is tackled almost immediately. Gain of four.
4th and 18 <12: Sav Rocca’s 53-yard punt is returned 10 yards to the Philadelphia 45-yard line.

EAGLES ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 >45: McCoy is tackled immediately by defensive end Jarvis Jenkins. Loss of three yards.
2nd and 13 >42: Foles’ pass intended for Jason Avant is incomplete.
3rd and 13 >42: Avant catches it this time, but the 11 yards isn’t enough for the first down.
4th and 2 <47: Going for it for the third time on fourth down, is sacked by Lorenzo Alexander.

REDSKINS ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 <47: Morris carries the game for five yards.
2nd and 5 >48 : Morris gets 10 yards on the carry this time around.
1st and 10 >35: Morris, again, this time for six yards.
2nd and 4 >29: Evan Royster carries the ball this time and gets seven yards and the first down.
1st and 10 >22: Griffin III’s pass is incomplete, batted down at the line.
2nd and 10 >22: Another incompletion, this time on the drop by Lenoard Hankerson across the middle. Perhaps he heard footsteps?
3rd and 10 >22: Griffin III finds Moss over the top on a perfectly-thrown ball in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown. Moss dragged toes on both feet to complete the score — a nice veteran play there.
Extra point: Kick is good by Forbath.

1:31: Redskins 27, Eagles 13; Scoring drive: Seven plays, 50 yards, 3:01.

Kickoff: Taken 14 yards to the 21-yard line.

EAGLES ENSUING DRIVE:

1st and 10 >21: Six-yard carry by McCoy.
2nd and 4 >27: McCoy gets outside to his left on the misdirection play and gets another five yards and a first down.
1st and 10 >32: Foles finds McCoy at the last minute for a three-yard completion.

CHIME IN: What are YOUR thoughts from the third quarter of action today? Feel free to comment below.

(AP photo)

A bit of NFL history was made in the second quarter of today’s game between the Redskins and the Eagles.

Washington kicker Kai Forbath’s two field goals in the period — from 45 and 42 yards — passed the Saints’ Garrett Hartley’s NFL record of 16 consecutive field goals to begin a career. Forbath is now 17-of-17 on the season.

Other than that, Redskins outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan has been a monster so far, with two sacks and a forced fumble, which got his offense going after a slow start. But the Eagles responded with a late field goal of their own, and at halftime, the Redskins lead the Eagles, 13-10.

The quarter began with the Redskins in possession of the ball after a sack-fumble by Kerrigan. The ball was picked up by rookie cornerback Richard Crawford, who took it to the Washington 41-yard line.

Here’s some key plays and notes from each drive of the second quarter:

REDSKINS FIRST DRIVE OF QUARTER:

1st and 10<41: Quarterback Robert Griffin III finds running back Alfred Morris wide open for a 17-yard throw-and-catch.
2nd and 9 >41: Joshua Morgan gets the end-around, evades one Philadelphia tackler before hurdling another and getting a gain of seven.
3rd and 2 >34: Running back Evan Royster carries the ball for a seven-yard gain and a first down. Nice fight by Royster.
2nd and 10 >27: After a run for no gain by Morris, Griffin III is flushed from the pocket and overthrows Pierre Garcon.
3rd and 10 >27: Griffin III tries to pitch to Garcon, but the ball is knocked down for an incomplete pass. Dangerously close to a fumble there.
4th and 10 >27: Kai Forbath’s 45-yard attempt is good. It ties him for the NFL’s all-time lead of consecutive completions to begin a career (16).

11:25: Eagles 7, Redskins 3; Scoring drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 3:35

Kickoff: Bryce Brown takes the ball to around the 30-yard line, but the Eagles are called for holding. They begin from their own 16-yard line.

ENSUING EAGLES DRIVE:

1st and 10 >16: LeSean McCoy takes the handoff to his right and is tackled for a loss of one by Kerrigan.
2nd and 11 >15: Nick Foles is flushed out of the pocket by Kerrigan and throws the ball away. It might just be one of those games for Kerrigan — stay tuned.
3rd and 11 >15: Foles is touched down on the ground by Perry Riley after gaining a yard.
4th and 10 >16: Mat McBriar’s punt is low and wobbly and bounces the wrong way for the Eagles. It rolls out of bounds at the Washington 47.

ENSUING REDSKINS DRIVE:

1st and 10 <47: Griffin III’s pass is complete to a wide-open Garcon, who gets 27 yards on the play. Nice placement by Griffin III, who hit Garcon perfectly in stride.
1st and 10 >26: Morris gets one yard on the read-option play.
2nd and 9 >25: Same play, same result. Morris for one yard on the read-option.
3rd and 8 >24: Griffin III is flushed out of the pocket and can’t connect with Joshua Morgan.
4th and 8 >24: Forbath attempts a 42-yard field goal and hits it. He has the NFL record for consecutive field goals to begin a career (17).

7:37: Eagles 7, Redskins 6; Drive summary: 5 plays, 29 yards, 2:02

Kickoff: Brown takes it to the Philadelphia 22-yard line before he’s taken down by Bryan Kehl.

ENSUING EAGLES DRIVE:

1st and 10 >22: Foles is sacked by Kerrigan — again — for a loss of three yards. Great timing for his best game of the year by the Purdue product.
3rd and 12 >20: Foles is intercepted by middle linebacker London Fletcher, who takes it to the Philadelphia 25-yard line. That’s Fletcher’s fifth interception of the season.

ENSUING REDSKINS DRIVE:

1st and 10 >25: Griffin III finds Garcon for a two-yard gain.
2nd and 8 >23: Morris rumbles for a six-yard gain, carrying Philadelphia defenders with him.
3rd and 2 >17: Morris again carries the ball, this time for a gain of four and the first down.
2nd and 8 >11: Griffin III’s pass is complete to Morgan for 11 yards and the touchdown. Nice maneuvering there by the receiver, and the Redskins take the lead.
Extra point: Forbath’s kick is good.

3:30: Redskins 13, Eagles 7; Scoring drive: Five plays, 25 yards, 2:45.

Kickoff: Touchback.

ENSUING EAGLES DRIVE:

1st and 10 >20: Foles pass is nearly intercepted by Josh Wilson, who appeared to hurt his finger/arm on the play. His return was questionable, but he returned to the game later in the drive.
2nd and 10 >20: Foles finds Jason Avant wide open along the left sideline for a gain of 16 yards.
1st and 10 >36: McCoy breaks free on a passing play and gains 15 yards. Two straight big plays for the Eagles.
1st and 10 <49: Another big play, this time due to a missed tackle by D.J. Johnson. Twelve yards to Damaris Johnson.
1st and 10 <37: Another 12-yard gain and first down, this time to Jeremy Maclin.
1st and 10 <25: Foles finds Avant again for a six-yard gain. Well, at least it wasn’t a first down.
2nd and 9 <24: (After false start) On his first play back, Wilson combines with nose tackle Barry Cofield to make a nice tackle on a four-yard passing play to Maclin.
3rd and 5 <20: Foles to Avant, again, this time for eight yards and the first down.
1st and 10 <12: Foles carries the ball inside the 10, but tackle King Dunlap is called for holding.
1st and 20 <22: Foles makes a nice play with Cofield bearing down on him and gets two yards on a pass to McCoy, who’s brought down by Lorenzo Alexander.
2nd and 18 <20: Foles throws the ball away at his receiver’s feet.
3rd and 18 <20: Foles finds Evan Moore in the end zone, but he was ruled out of bounds on the catch. Moore got one foot in, but not two.
4th and 18 <20: Alex Henery’s 38-yard attempt is good.

0:18: Redskins 13, Eagles 10; Scoring drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 3:12.

Kickoff: Touchback.

ENSUING REDSKINS DRIVE:

1st and 10 <20: Griffin III takes a knee.

CHIME IN: What are YOU thoughts from the first half of action of today’s game? Feel free to comment below.

(AP photo)

After missing his first-career game last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is back.

Griffin III led his Redskins (8-6) team — winner of five straight — into today’s pivotal NFC East showdown vs. the Philadelphia Eagles (4-10), as Washington looks to maintain its hold on first place in the division.

And, after the first quarter, the Redskins trail the Eagles, 7-0.

Here’s some key plays and notes from each drive of the first quarter:

Opening kickoff: Philadelphia won the toss and elected to receive. Bryce Brown returned kicker Kai Forbath’s kick to the Philadelphia 24-yard line.

PHILADELPHIA OPENING DRIVE:

1st and 10 <24: Quarterback Nick Foles pitches to running back LeSean McCoy for a seven-yard gain to the left.
2nd and 3 <31: Foles, in the shotgun, finds McCoy on a halfback screen, who gets six yards and the first down.
1st and 10 <37: Foles’ pass is incomplete; deflected at the line of scrimmage.
2nd and 10 <37: Brown carries the ball to his left for a gain of nine yards. The defensive front read it well, but the Eagles blocked it even better.
3rd and 1 <46: Brown is stuffed for a loss  by outside linebacker Rob Jackson for no gain.4th and 1 <46: The Eagles elect to go for it, and Foles, on play action, finds tight end Brent Celek for a gain of 15 yards.
1st and 10 >39: McCoy is tackled by Jackson for a loss of two yards. A second nice play by Jackson on this opening drive.
2nd and 12 >41: Foles’ pass intended for Jeremy Maclin is incomplete. Jackson with the nice coverage there.
3rd and 12 >41: Foles’ pass is complete for 11 yards to Jason Avant, who is tackled right at the first-down marker. After a measurement, the Eagles are marked just short.
4th and 1 >40: Foles falls the right way with a quarterback sneak for a three-yard gain and the first down — their second fouth-down conversion of the drive.
1st and 10 >37: Foles finds Maclin over the top for a 37-yard touchdown. Maclin beat two Redskins in the secondary — D.J. Johnson and Madieu Williams — for the easy touchdown.
Extra point: Alex Henery’s kick is good.

10:09: EAGLES 7, REDSKINS; Scoring drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 4:51.

Kickoff: Tight end Niles Paul returns the ball into Philadelphia territory, but linebacker Chris Wilson is called for holding. The ball is placed at the Washington nine-yard line.

ENSUING REDSKINS DRIVE:

1st and 10 >9: Griffin III lined up in the I-formation and hands it off to running back Alfred Morris, who gains five yards.
2nd and 5 >14: Griffin III — this time in the pistol — hands off to Morris again, who is stuffed for a loss of four yards.
3rd and 9 >10: Griffin III’s pass is complete in the middle to wide receiver Leonard Hankerson for 10 yards and the first down.
1st and 10 >20: On play action, Griffin III completes his pass to wide receiver Pierre Garcon, who gets eight yards on the play. If Garcon didn’t slip, he could’ve possibly had many more yards.
2nd and 2 >28: Santana Moss gets the end-around and takes the ball to the right for a gain of 12 yards and another first down.
1st and 10 >40: Griffin III fakes the end around this time and finds Garcon across the middle — through a tight window — for 17 yards. Garcon did a good job holding onto the ball in traffic.
1st and 10 <43: Griffin III takes the read-option himself to the right for a five-yard gain. Wearing a bulky knee brace on his right knee, Griffin III wisely goes out of bounds untouched.
3rd and 2 <35: After a Morris carry, Griffin III fakes the handoff and tries to find Paul, but overthrows it.
4th and 2 <35: Electing to go for it, Griffin III fakes a handoff to Joshua Morgan and tries to find Moss, but the throw is dropped. Moss was covered well on the play, and might not have even converted had he caught it.

ENSUING EAGLES DRIVE:

1st and 10 <35: Foles pass is complete across the middle for a gain of six. The rookie had all day to throw there.
2nd and 4 <41: McCoy carries the ball this time and gets a five-yard gain and the first down.
2nd and 10 <46: After a Foles incompletion, McCoy takes the ball to his left and, after several missed Redskins tackles, gets an eight-yard gain.
3rd and 2 >46: Foles’ pitch to Brown is good for six yards and a first down.
1st and 10 >40: Foles on the play action hooks up with Celek for a gain of 17 yards.
1st and 10 >23: McCoy gets three yards before he’s upended by middle linebacker London Fletcher.
2nd and 7 >20: Foles is sacked by middle linebacker Perry Riley, who corrals the quarterback for a loss of eight yards. That’s sack 3.5 on the season for Riley.
3rd and 15 >28: Foles is sacked by Kerrigan, who forces a fumble, which is picked up by cornerback Richard Crawford. End of the quarter on a high note.

(AP photo)

Let’s just face the facts: the Redskins are a team on the up and the Eagles have been going the other way this season.

Just a couple of years ago, it was the Eagles that were the perennial favorites of the NFC East. Now, at 4-10, they’re not.

Since their Bye Week this season, the Redskins (8-6) have soared up into the top spot in the NFC East and show no signs of slowing.

Accordingly, the experts and analysts below think the Redskins should take care of business today vs. the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field — in fact, 97 percent of them do.

Here’s this week’s version of Experts Pick ‘Em:

The crew at CBS Sports all agree that Washington will win this game:

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It’s a clean sweep for the folks ESPN.com  … wait, nevermind. Eric Allen is going with the Eagles:

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FoxSports.com and its four experts all believe Washington will win this game, though two of them think Philadelphia will cover the seven-point spread:

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All five experts at NFL.com think the Redskins will pull this one out:

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ProFootballTalk/NBC’s Mike Florio and Michael David Smith see this game heading in the same direction, though one thinks it will be more one-sided than the other:

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Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King thinks the Redskins should come out victorious by double digits today:

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Week 16 Pick ‘Em Totals: 34 for Redskins; 1 for Eagles.

Experts Pick ‘Em Archive:
- Week 2
- Week 3
- Week 4
- Week 5
- Week 6
- Week 7
- Week 8
- Week 9
- Week 11
- Week 12
- Week 13
- Week 14
- Week 15