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One of the match ups to watch this week is the Redskins' defense versus the Eagles' offense. Philadelphia's offense ranks in the top of the league, especially when their starting quarterback is healthy (and not named Matt Barkley). On the other hand, Washington's defense ranks in the bottom in the league in several key categories.
One of those areas is missed tackles. Simply put, Washington has problems tackling. In the first Eagles-Redskins game, LeSean McCoy alone forced 9 missed tackles. DeSean Jackson recorded 2 MT. Washington hasn't been able to remedy this issue. Their defensive players still rank among the worst tacklers in the league. Take a look at their tackling efficiencies (attempted tackles made / tackles missed):
Outside Linebacker (out of 27)
Ryan Kerrigan - 9.7 - 14th
Brian Orakpo - 7.0 - 19th
Inside Linebacker (out of 32)
Perry Riley 11.2 - 20th
London Fletcher 5.6 - 30th
Cornerback (out of 71)
David Amerson 5.7 - 58th
Josh Wilson - 5.2 - 62nd
DeAngelo Hall 5.0 - 63rd
Safety (out of 62)
Brandon Meriweather 4.2 - 60th
These players were qualified due to playing at least 50% of the snaps.
The Eagles offense is already a force to be reckoned with when executing properly. If Washington's defense can't execute the basics of fundamental tackling, it will make their job that much more difficult.
No one has recorded more big plays than the Eagles have this year. Philadelphia has put up 61 plays of 20 yards or more. Washington's defense has allowed 42 big plays, which is tied for seventh most in the NFL. It could be a long day for the Redskins defense if these poor tackling rates continue.