The Redskins were in this game until the 4th quarter, when the Eagles scored the last 21 points of this game to pull away.  Rex Grossman wasn’t at his best in this game as he completed 22 of 45 passes for 256 yards with 1 TD pass and 1 INT.  Evan Royster had another huge game with 113 yards on 20 carries (5.7 ypc) and he also caught 5 passes for 52 yards (10.4 avg).  FB Darrell Young got some work in with 1 carry for 12 yards and 3 grabs for 32 yards (10.7 avg) in this game.  Roy Helu only rushed for 5 yards on 4 carries (1.3 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 48 yards (24.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.  WRs Santana Moss (3 rec, 45 yards) and Jabar Gaffney (4 rec, 28 yards) led the way in the passing game.  The Redskins finished up with 130 yards rushing on 25 carries (5.2 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 45 passes (48.9%) for 247 yards as they had possession of the ball for 30:41.

The defense was good for three quarters in this game before they blew a gasket.  Safety Reed Doughty (6 tackles) and OLB Brian Orakpo (3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 QB hit) led the way for the Redskins on D in this game.  LB Perry Riley (3 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 fumble recovery), safety O.J. Atogwe (3 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) and CB DeAngelo Hall (3 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception) also pitched in for the Redskins on D in this game.  The Eagles finished up with 75 yards rushing on 19 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 24 of 39 passes (61.5%) for 315 yards.  The Redskins finished the 2011 season with a 5-11 record.

The Redskins and Eagles are playing for pride and little more this weekend.  So the team that wants this game more will probably win.  The Redskins have lost three of their last four games as they are limping to the finish line of the 2012 season.  The Eagles have won three games in a row by a combined score of 91-34!  The Eagles won the earlier meeting between these teams, 20-13 in Washington.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins are likely going to try to run the ball a lot in this game with Evan Royster and Roy Helu against an Eagles’ D that is giving up 111.4 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year.  Rex Grossman is going to have to be careful with the football in this game as the Eagles intercepted him four times in the first meeting.  I don’t think he will be careful though as I see him trying to attack the Eagles’ secondary down the field to WRs Jabar Gaffney, Santana Moss and Donte’ Stallworth.

When the Eagles have the ball:  Lesean McCoy might miss this game with an ankle injury.  Even if he does play, he will share carries in the backfield with Ronnie Brown.  The Redskins are going to have to contain Michael Vick in the pocket, or he’s likely to do damage both running the ball and throwing it down the field.  TE Brent Celek and WRs Desean Jackson, Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin give the Redskins a lot of players to worry about when the Eagles drop back to throw.

PREDICTION:  EAGLES 27, REDSKINS 17

The Washington Redskins waive 25-year old RB Ryan Torain.  Torain played in 8 games for the Redskins this year and he carried the ball 59 times for 200 yards (3.4 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 6 passes for 23 yards (3.8 avg) this year.  Torain played in 18 games in his two years with the Redskins and he carried the ball 223 times for 942 yards (4.2 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  He also caught 24 passes for 148 yards (6.2 ypc) with 2 TD grabs.  The emergence of rookie RBs Roy Helu and Evan Royster have made Ryan Torain expendable.

The Redskins just couldn’t keep up with the Vikings in this game.  Rex Grossman had a solid game as he completed 26 of 41 passes for 284 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT.  Evan Royster led the way on the ground for the Redskins in this game with 19 carries for 132 yards (6.9 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 15 yards (7.5 avg) in this game.  WRs Jabar Gaffney (6 rec, 77 yards, TD), Donte Stallworth (5 rec, 59 yards, TD) and Santana Moss (4 rec, 46 yards) led the way for the Redskins in the passing game.  The Redskins finished up with 141 yards rushing on 24 carries (5.9 ypc) and they also completed 26 of 41 passes (63.4%) for 256 yards as they had possession of the ball for 30:26.

The defense was not good against the Vikings last weekend.  LB London Fletcher (17 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1/2 a sack and 1 QB hit) and safety Reed Doughty (10 tackles) led the way for the Redskins on D in this game.  The Vikings finished up with 241 yards rushing on 38 carries (6.3 ypc) and they also completed 12 of 18 passes (66.7%) for 148 yards in this game.  The Redskins are now 5-10 on the year.

The Redskins have won two of their last four games, as they have been playing solid football lately.  The Vikings on the other hand, have lost six games in a row and they have looked terrible doing it.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins are going to keep Roy Helu’s workload down in this game as he is banged up right now.  Look for Evan Royster and Ryan Torain to also be involved in the running game against the Vikings tomorrow.  The Redskins must find a way to keep DE Jared Allen (17.5 sacks) and his buddies out of the backfield.  That will be easier said than done.  If Grossman has time to throw the ball, he’s going to make a lot of plays down the field to Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth.  Opposing QBs have a 110.8 Rating against the Vikings, so Grossman should have a pretty solid game tomorrow.

When the Vikings have the ball:  The Redskins are going to key on stopping Adrian Peterson.  They are also going to come after rookie Christian Ponder, who has been really sloppy at times so far this year.  Percy Harvin is the Vikings’ top playmaker, so the Redskins are also going to key on him.  None of the rest of the offensive skilled players scare the Redskins’ D at all.

PREDICTION:  REDSKINS 27, VIKINGS 16

The Redskins took it to the Giants as they jumped them early in the game and never looked back.  Rex Grossman was so-so for the Redskins today as he completed 15 of 24 passes for 185 yards with 1 TD pass and 2 INTs.  Roy Helu led the way on the ground for the Redskins today with 53 yards rushing on 23 carries (2.3 ypc).  He also caught 3 passes for 16 yards (5.3 avg) in this game.  Evan Royster (10 carries for 36 yards) and Darrel Young (4 carries for 14 yards with a TD run, also helped out for the Redskins on the ground in this game.  WRs Jabar Gaffney (6 rec, 85 yards) and Santana Moss (2 rec, 40 yards, TD) led the way in the passing game for the Redskins.  The Redskins rushed for 123 yards on 40 carries (3.1 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 24 passes (62.5%) for 177 yards as they had possession of the ball for 35:00.

The defense was outstanding for the Redskins today.  LB London Fletcher (12 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 pass defensed), LB Perry Riley (8 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) and safety Reed Doughty (7 tackles) led the way for the Redskins on D in this game.  CB DeAngelo Hall (6 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception), safety O.J. Atogwe (6 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception) and CB Josh Wilson (4 tackles, 3 passes defensed and 1 interception) also played well for the Redskins in this game.  The Giants finished up with 91 yards rushing on 18 carries (5.1 ypc) and they also completed 23 of 40 passes (57.5%) for 233 yards in this game.  The Redskins are now 5-9 on the season and they swept the New York Giants.

The Redskins have lost 8 of their last nine games, but they are likely still confident coming into this game.  That is because they thumped the Giants 28-14 in the season opener in Washington.  The Giants broke a four game losing streak last weekend in a huge win over the Cowboys in Dallas.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins are going to keep playing like they have all year.  They are going to feed the rock to Roy Helu and throw the ball deep.  Helu has been hot lately and he should have little problem finding running room against a Giants’ D that is allowing 127.9 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry.  If Rex Grossman has time to throw the ball, and that is iffy, he will have success throwing the ball down the field as the Giants’ secondary is banged up right now.  WRs Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth are going to be the guys that Grossman is looking for as they all played well last weekend against the Patriots.

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are a pass first team.  The Redskins are going to have to get after Eli Manning, because if he has time to throw the ball, they are in deep trouble.  The Giants’ receivers are a huge mis-match for the Redskins’ secondary right now.  WRs Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and TE Jake Ballard are all playmakers for the Giants.  The front seven will be responsible for stopping RBs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, and that won’t be easy either.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 30, REDSKINS 27

The Redskins have placed 27-year old starting safety LaRon Landry on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to groin and Achilles injuries.  He played in 8 games for the Redskins this year and he had 48 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defensed.  The Redskins are going to replace Landry in the starting lineup with 22-year old rookie corner DeJon Gomes.  Gomes has played in 12 games for the Redskins so far this year and he has 24 tackles and 1 pass defensed.

31-year old QB Rex Grossman is playing better as of late.  In three of his last four games, the “good Rex Grossman” has shown up.  In his last four games, Grossman has completed 89 of 151 passes (58.9%) for 1,079 yards with 6 TD passes and 5 INTs.  He has now played in 10 games for the Redskins so far this year and he has completed 202 of 348 passes (58%) for 2,426 yards with 12 TD passes and 16 INTs (71.8 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 19 times for 12 yards (0.6 ypc) with 1 TD run so far this year.  The Redskins will likely look to replace Grossman as the starting QB in 2012, but he will have no problem finding a new gig if the Skins let him go.

The Redskins have signed 25-year old TE Richard Quinn.  Quinn played in 14 games for the Broncos last year and he caught 1 pass for 9 yards.  He has now played in 29 games in his first two years in the NFL and he has only 1 catch for 9 yards.  He is known more for his run blocking.  The Redskins need help at TE, so this signing made perfect sense for them.