Eagles rookie storylines entering the second WFT game

Week 17 preview.

The playoff hunt continues against the Washington Football Team. Two weeks in a row, the Eagles had slow starts against bad teams before pulling away in the second half. Hopefully the Eagles start realizing games begin in the first quarter and those fast starts will need to come partially from their rookies.

DeVonta Smith needs to get the damn ball

DeVonta Smith is only 92 yards away from breaking Desean Jackson’s rookie receiving record and 172 yards away from being the first Eagles receiver to break 1,000 yards since 2014. While these statistical achievements are great on their own, DeVonta Smith producing is conducive to the Eagles passing game functioning at a high level. The Eagles have been somewhat inconsistent in getting the ball to Smith on a week to week basis, but hopefully they feed him over the next two weeks to help propel the team to a playoff appearance.

Letting Landon Settle In

Landon Dickerson returned to the Eagles lineup last week after missing some time on the COVID list. While he played well, it was clear he was still getting back to form after so much time away from practicing or playing. Washington’s defensive front will prove to be tough, even after they got blown out last week. Dickerson will need to be at full strength if the Eagles want to move the ball consistently.

The Eagles need to let Kenneth Gain well…

The Kenny G campaign continues. With Miles Sanders out with injury, the hope is that Philly works Kenneth Gainwell back into the offensive game plan. Gainwell is already a fixture on kick returns, but he deserves a shot running the ball and making plays out of the backfield as a receiver.