The last time the Eagles started a season 3-0 was 10 years ago in 2004. That chance has presented itself on Sunday afternoon when the 2014 Eagles play their first divisional game of the season.
After Monday's win over the Colts, the Eagles may have been flying high. But there were still many things they needed to improve and players who could step up their game.
Here are five players to watch in this week's game against the Redskins.
Riley Cooper – Cooper is off to a slow start. His success has been hand-in-hand with Nick Foles. When the two are both on their game, the Eagles benefit in big ways. Cooper is among a group of wide receivers waiting for a breakout game. Foles seems due for a game where a lot goes right and he looks back to his form from last season. Cooper could have a successful day if that happens.
Emmanuel Acho – Filling the void of Mychal Kendricks won't be easy this week. It has been Acho that has been taking the bulk of the snaps and will fall in line behind DeMeco Ryans at middle linebacker instead of Oregon product Casey Matthews. It was a small sample size, but Acho got the job done late in the game against the Colts. He gets a full game to prove himself against the Redskins.
Darren Sproles – It's hard to ignore the reigning Offensive Player of the Week in the NFC. Sproles stunned with his speed and elusiveness on Monday. Consider the tandam of LeSean McCoy and Sproles Shady 1 and Shady 1A. That's how good they are together. But Sproles has worked himself into the limelight this week. When the Eagles are on offense, focus on Sproles and don't touch the dial. Something exciting could happen at any second.
Malcolm Jenkins – He came up with the crucial interception on Monday and has been a player in the right place at the right time on several occassions. He hasn't solved all of the Eagles secondary woes, but the Eagles haven't fared horribly on defense this season. Jenkins is a big reason for that.
Fletcher Cox – His forced fumble on Monday was a game-changer that shifted the momentum. In two games, he's forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and scored a touchdown. We'll have to keep watching to see what he does next.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
