The Athenaeum Forum

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Philadelphia Eagles no longer control their own destiny and squandered those chances with back-to-back convincing defeats. The Eagles will try to keep their fading playoff hopes alive when they visit the Washington Redskins Saturday at FedEx Field. Philadelphia was in a euphoric state after dismantling rival Dallas on Thanksgiving, but came back down to Earth with a 24-14 loss to Seattle the next week. To make matters worse, the Cowboys entered south Philly Sunday night and left town with a 38-27 victory and sole possession of first place in the NFC East. Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant torched Eagles cornerback Bradley Fletcher for 114 yards and three touchdowns on six receptions. I had a terrible game. Thats what happened today, Fletcher said. Eagles other defensive back Cary Williams was whistled for a few penalties in the loss, Philadelphias third in the last five games. The start of the game set the tone for the Cowboys, who recovered the opening kickoff deep in Philadelphia territory after Josh Huff let the ball bounce, almost as if he was fielding a punt. DeMarco Murray later scored on a one-yard run to open the scoring and Dallas eventually led 21-0. Philadelphia would scored the next 24 points for a three-point lead, but the Cowboys persevered with back-to-back scores from Murray and Bryant. Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez completed 17-of-28 passes for 252 yards and two interceptions. Sanchez, who shouldered blame for the loss, has nine INTs this season to 10 touchdown passes and is looking forward. Weve just got to bounce back, Sanchez said Sunday night. Get this taste out of our mouth as soon as possible, as in tonight, and get in there, get in the film room, shake it off and move on. Because I know we have so much talent on this team, and it would be a real shame if we didnt maximize it and get these next couple of wins. But it starts with next week. I need to clean up some mistakes and attack this thing like I do every week. Thats with a positive attitude, learning from the previous week, learning from this game and being ready to play. The Eagles will close the regular season on the road against the New York Giants on Dec. 28 and can miss out on a chance to win the NFC East with a loss Saturday and a Dallas win Sunday versus Indianapolis. Washington is last in the NFC East with a dismal 3-11 record and is mired in a six-game losing streak. In Sundays 24-13 road loss to the Giants, Robert Griffin III took over for Colt McCoy (neck) and completed 18-of-27 passes for 236 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. McCoy left early against the Giants after aggravating a neck injury and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Now the starting job is back in the hands of Griffin, who is supposedly the future and face of the franchise. Weve got two games left and weve got to make sure that as a team we go out there ready to play, Griffin said. These guys in there are the best in the world, so we have to go out there and show it. So I pray that the team is ready to go. Griffin said the Eagles have an aggressive defense, but is ready for the challenge. Griffin did not play in the first meeting with the Eagles, a 37-34 setback at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 3. Kirk Cousins, who is now the backup, threw for 427 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Pierre Garcon caught 11 passes for 138 yards and a score, while former Eagle DeSean Jackson recorded 117 yards and a score on five catches, including an 81-yard TD reception in the third quarter. Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin ended with 154 yards and a TD on eight catches. Maclin, who owns 10 TDs this season, has four 100-yard games in the last five against the Skins. The Redskins struggled against Giants rookie wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and could be in for another frustrating game versus Maclin. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who is out with a broken clavicle, completed 27 of his 41 pass attempts for 325 yards and three scores with no INTs back in Week 3. Now its up to Sanchez to get Philly back on track. He won his only start against the Redskins back on Dec. 4, 2011 with the New York Jets. The Redskins lost both meetings with the Eagles last season, but lead the all- time series, 81-74-6. Washington has lost three in a row and six of the past eight meetings between the rivals. WHAT TO WATCH FOR The Eagles have been able to slow down two of the top running backs in the league the last few weeks. Murray and Seattles Marshawn Lynch had seen better days against the Eagles, who now have to worry about both Alfred Morris and Griffin. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly knows how good RG3 is. If you sleep on that guy, trust me, youll be sitting here after the game going, Boy, he ran for 100 yards against you, howd that happen? Kelly said Wednesday. That kids athletic as heck, and he can run really, really well. We have to understand where he is on every single play. Philadelphia struggled against the elusive Russell Wilson in the loss to the Seahawks and could be in for a long afternoon if it misses assignments and tackles poorly. Weve got to be really sharp on our contain when we rush the quarterback, because hes a different element than weve seen except for Russell Wilson, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said. Jenkins also acknowledged Griffins arm strength and ability to set his feet and throw after moving out of harms way. Griffin has explosive receivers in Garcon, Jackson and tight end Jordan Reed. Morris can catch passes as well and needs 52 rushing yards for a third straight 1,000-yard season. The Eagles wont have Trent Cole Saturday and possibly for the remainder of the season because of a broken hand suffered Sunday night. Brandon Graham will make the start in Coles place at outside linebacker Im just excited for any opportunity that I get, Graham said. Im definitely going to make the best of this opportunity, these last two games, and hopefully we can sneak into these playoffs. Rookie Marcus Smith could see extended playing time, too. Hes played in eight games and has just one tackle to show for it. Im working hard and I have to be ready, Smith said. The best way to learn is to get out on the field and do it. Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin leads the team and the NFC with 14 1/2 sacks and has recorded four in the past four games. Fellow linebacker Mychal Kendricks leads the team with 67 tackles (51 solo). Washington has a talented pass rusher in Ryan Kerrigan, who has 12 1/2 sacks this season. Kerrigan has posted four sacks in the last five games against Philadelphia. Linebacker Keenan Robinson leads the Skins with 99 tackles (64 solo). The Redskins are one of three teams with only five interceptions this season. Kansas City is at the bottom with only four INTs. Robinson has one of those picks. OVERALL ANALYSIS Eagles running back LeSean McCoy didnt have a healthy line to play behind in the first meeting with the Redskins and recorded 22 yards on 19 carries. He has just two 100-yard games in his last six and posted 64 yards on 16 carries Sunday night. The situation were in now, we need wins, and theyre a team trying to finish the season out. Ive been there. I know that type of role, McCoy said. You want to play hard, but youve probably got your flights already scheduled, where youre going. Were fighting for something. Tackle Jason Peters was ejected in the first game for defending Foles, who was blindsided by Redskins defensive lineman Chris Baker on a turnover. Were going down there to win ... Point blank, Peters said. Whatever weve got to do to win, thats what were going down to do. Philadelphia will keep its playoff hopes alive and can only hope the Colts upend the Cowboys in Big D. Its a lot to ask, but extremely possible. Sports Network predicted outcome: Eagles 37, Redskins 23 Cameron Erving Jersey . He made the comment at a media availability Saturday prior to Game 2 of the Boston-Montreal playoff series when a Quebec reporter said there is sentiment in Quebec that the NHL looks more favourably on Seattle than Quebec City when it comes to future expansion. Patrick Mahomes II Jersey . Charlottetown scored four times in the third period en route to a 5-2 win over the defending champion Halifax Mooseheads on Friday. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/. Spezza scored a power-play goal with 5 minutes left and Stephane Da Costa had the other two goals to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Tanoh Kpassagnon Jersey . Right-hander Todd Redmond took the loss. Jose Bautista hit his second home run of the spring. Here are a handful of tidbits from around camp: Hutchison impressive The Blue Jays are being cautious when talking about their young arms but internally, excitement is building over the way Drew Hutchison is looking and performing this spring. Joe Montana Jersey . - Titans quarterback Jake Locker will miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, leaving Tennessee trying to rally with Ryan Fitzpatrick.SAN DIEGO - Sometime soon, a baseball will be getting a prominent spot among the trophies on Justin Verlanders mantle. Its the ball he hit up the middle for a single in the second inning Saturday night, the one that will forever shut up his teammates. Verlander had the first two hits of his career and recovered from throwing 31 pitches in the first inning to pitch seven strong innings and lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night. "It felt great. Its been a long time and I can finally get all these guys off my back ...," Verlander said. Verlander had been 0 for 26 with 15 strikeouts in his career when he stepped in against Ian Kennedy in the second inning and singled up the middle. When the ball came back to Kennedy, he tossed it to a ball boy near the Padres dugout. Home plate umpire Seth Buckminster motioned for the ball boy to throw it to the Tigers dugout. "I think the Padres and probably Ian didnt know that I had never had a hit," Verlander said. "Its been nine years in the big leagues now. They probably werent thinking about that but I sure as heck was. I was watching that ball like a hawk." The last time Verlander had a hit? "High school. Its been a long time," he said. "I guess I have no more leverage," catcher Alex Avila said. "Were all happy for him. It was fun to watch." Verlander cited a list of times when he came close to getting a hit. "I think its kind of been an anomaly that I havent had one yet," he said. "I feel like Ive probably hit five or six hard that have been caught." Verlander singled to right in the fourth, although he had to hustle to avoid being thrown out by Chris Denorfia. "I hit it pretty hard, too. It was a bang-bang play but I beat it out, thank goodness," said Verlander, who eventually scored on Torii Hunters two-run single. The sight of Verlander (1-1) on the mound at Petco Park was another reminder of how the Padres flubbed the top pick in the June 2004 amateur draft. Not wanting to pay a big signing bonus, the team passed on players such as Jered Weaver, Stephen Drew and Verlander in favour of local shortstop Matt Bush.dddddddddddd. Bush, who signed for $3 million, never reached the big leagues and had numerous off-field problems. In December 2012, he was sentenced to four years and three months in a Florida prison for a drunken driving hit-and-run crash. Verlander was taken by the Tigers with the second pick. He has thrown two no-hitters and came within two outs of a third, won the AL MVP and Cy Young Award in 2011, was voted AL Rookie of the Year in 2006 and is a six-time All-Star. Verlander allowed two runs and eight hits, struck out eight and walked one. He improved to 2-0 against the Padres, having also beaten them at Petco Park in 2008. "Hes a guy who obviously has that power arm when he needs to," San Diegos Yonder Alonso said. "He works his way into the game and if he feels like hes in trouble, hes going to attack. He made some good pitches but we just missed a lot of guys on base." The Tigers had plenty of offence one night after being held to one hit by Andrew Cashner in a 6-0 loss. Austin Jackson hit a two-run double one batter after Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases in the ninth; Hunter, who missed the previous two games with a bruised left knee, hit a two-run single; and Cabrera and Ian Kinsler each had an RBI double. Rajai Davis scored three runs. San Diego got its runs on Jedd Gyorkos sacrifice fly and Yasmani Grandals RBI single. Kennedy (1-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one. NOTES: A candidate in the Padres in-season contest to find a new public address announcer committed a big flub in the first inning. As Cabrera, the two-time AL MVP, walked to the plate, he was announced as Austin Jackson. Cabrera turned and looked up at the booth. Frank Anthony, the Padres PA announcer since Petco Park opened in 2004, was fired in January so the team could hold open tryouts as part of the 10th anniversary of Petco Park. ... 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