Sunday 1:00 EST Lincoln Financial Field  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

RIGHT off the bat, I’m going to say I think we beat the Redskins. However because no win is guaranteed in the NFL, I’m going to bring up something that I hope the EAGLES players have given some thought to.

If we win, we’re 3-0, and the Redskins 1-2. The Cowboys will likely see 2-1 with a win over the hapless Rams, and no one (cares) what the (Giants) do this week. Point is, with a “W’ we own the NFC East for at least two more weeks. (If Dallas goes 3-1 and we drop to 3-1 in week 4, our in-division win gives us priority.)

If we lose however, the division loss puts us behind the ‘skins, and also Dallas if they win (since they’d have no division loss). There’s no need to even mention the

That makes this game pivotal. Even though it’s early in the year, and there are 5 more division games after this, you don’t want your rival playing with the confidence of having beaten you. We have to play them again this year and our young players don’t need that doubt in the back of their minds when we do.

Oh yeah! Then there’s the DeSean Jackson factor. If we don’t win and he not only manages to play (which I’m starting to doubt), but factors heavily in a ‘skins win, the local media will make life Hell next week for Chip Kelly; amid questions of having given away the division in the offseason.

Make no mistake, a lot is riding on this game.

(Read the extended version at: http://eaglemaniacal.com/2014/09/19/week-3-redskins/ )