Philadelphia Eagles versus Washington: 5 Keys to a victory in Week 1

Here’s the formula for a Philadelphia Eagles win on Sunday.

Football is finally back. The 2020-2021 NFL season is officially underway. Despite the fact that there won’t be any fans in the stadium in D.C. this weekend, Philadelphia Eagles fans are counting down the hours until kickoff. Jadeveon Clowney’s dirty hit on Carson Wentz and D.K. Metcalf’s lights-out performance in the Wild Card game have both been replaying through the heads of ‘Birds’ fans the entire offseason.

The 2019 season is a distant memory now. The ‘Birds’ have a clean slate with plenty of new faces and a new philosophy in terms of roster construction. The front office prioritized bringing in players who are fast, who can stay healthy, and who have a strong passion for the game. The last one seems simple but there are plenty of guys in the league who appear to lack effort at times and there’s been a few Eagles who fit the bill.

As always, there are high expectations for this Philadelphia Eagles team. With how difficult this year’s schedule is, they cannot wait until the last stretch of the season to barely secure a playoff spot as they did in 2018 and 2019. They need to prove they can play with some of the league’s best and that their young talent is ready to contribute in a big way.

Sunday’s matchup versus the Washington Football Team looks like an easy matchup on paper. With how many holes Washington still has to fill on their roster, Philadelphia has a clear advantage. It should be a game where the ‘Birds’ come out and win in convincing fashion but the NFC East matchups always tend to be close.  Let’s take a look at what Philly has to do to secure a Week 1 victory and get off on the right foot.