Offense - There have been reports that Vick is returned to 2010 form and while that is encouraging for Eagles fans it seems unrealistic at this point. Yes, Vick did have a solid preseason, but lets remember that defenses are extremely simple during the preseason so a quarterback with the physical skills that Vick has can come off looking more impressive.
However, the Eagles do have two very real threats on the offense in LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson. McCoy is arguably a top 5 running back in the NFL but Andy Reid failed to use him correctly. I would not expect Chip Kelly to do the same especially when looking at his time at Oregon. McCoy is strong, fast, and extremely hard to tackle in the open field. When you have a quarterback like Vick the logical thing to do is lean on the run game early and often and I would expect that to be the strategy of the Eagles this year.
The more intriguing player, though, is DeSean Jackson. I expect Jackson to be used in a more unique way than he has been used in the past. He is extremely similar to De'Anthony Thomas who is a player Kelly had a lot of success with at Oregon. I am not saying Jackson will be used exactly like because Jackson is primarily a wide receiver while Thomas is primarily a running back. However, just like Kelly used Thomas as a receiver at times I would expect Jackson to be used in the backfield at times and not just for end arounds. Jackson could be a perfect fit for the triple option. Vick could line up with both Jackson and McCoy in the backfield with the option of handing it off to McCoy, running it himself or pitching it to McCoy. The amount of speed and open field skill provided by all three of those players would be terrifying. The biggest problem with this idea is that Vick is a fragile QB so if he runs too often he would likely be injured. But if Kelly feels the same way as the Shanahan's do then he could use the triple option with the belief that it actually helps protect Vick. At the very least this kind of offense would force teams to plan for it even if its only used sparingly. Overall, this is a offense that should be expected to have some wrinkles in it whether its the triple option, going for 2 after a touchdown, or going for it on 4th down.
Defense - Last year the Eagles defense was one of the worst and was tied for 3rd in points allowed per game. This year they are making the switch to the 3-4 which seems to be the trend in the NFL recently with the exception of teams like the Cowboys. While this switch may pay dividends later down the road it seems unlikely that the defense will improve much if at all. When teams switch to the 3-4 it if takes some time for players to get used to the system and success is not immediate. The Redskins and Packers are both examples of this. It would be shocking if the defense somehow comes out especially in the first game of the season and produces. There is a lot of talent with Fletcher Cox, Trent Cole, and DeMeco Ryans that will probably not be enough at this point. The fact that the Eagles are such a fast paced offense will not help the defense out either because that will mean shorter breaks. Teams with strong running games will most likely be able to tire the defense out by the second half. Fortunately, the Redskins are that exact type of offense.
Week 1 Prediction - Expect the Eagles to start out fast at first and possibly catch the Redskins off guard with their speed and score quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if the Eagles are leading after the 1st quarter. As the game goes on the Redskins will settle down and start to take control of the game and the score will end up lopsided.
Redskins 31, Eagles 10
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