By Kevin McGuire

The Philadelphia Eagles look to even their record with a second straight win this week when they travel down I-95 to face their longtime rivals from Washington. That means another round with brash former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who took great pride in beating the Eagles last season as the Eagles playoff plans were being crumpled. His status and a complicated quarterback situation make Washington quite a team in disarray as they host the Eagles this weekend.

Season Record

Washington gets a couple of extra days to prepare for the Eagles after playing last Thursday night. Washington came home with a 32-21 defeat at the hands of the New York Giants on national TV, dropping the team to 1-2 this season. Washington dropped the first game of the season at home against the Miami Dolphins and defeated Nick Foles and the St. Louis Rams in week 2. Washington is coming off a 4-12 season, which was a small step forward from a 3-13 season after a playoff appearance in 2012.

Washington owns the edge in the all-time series with the Eagles, with a record of 82-74-6. Washington won last year's game down south, 27-24, but the teams split the season series.The eagles swept the two-game set in 2013, and Washington took both games in 2012.

Washington on Offense

Washington's offensive has been under a spotlight all season with the decision to roll with Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback while Robert Griffin III has been bumped down the depth chart. Cousins has taken every snap under center in three games so far, completing 69.2 percent of his pass attempts for 715 yards and three touchdowns. But he has been picked off four times and sacked four times as well. The pressure continues to build before going back to Griffin may be in play.

Washington's running game has had some ups and downs as well. Alfred Morris leads the team with 199 rushing yards but has yet to reach the end zone. He has held on to the football though, and that is something Matt Jones has struggled with. Jones has 189 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he has also fumbled away the football twice.

The big question this week will be whether or not DeSean Jackson gets on the field against his former team. Jackson did not practice on Monday as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. The target return date has been this weekend's game against the Eagles, so keep an eye on that injury report out of Washington as the week progresses. Jordan Reed has taken on the lead role quite nicely, with five receptions of 20 yards or more.

Washington on Defense

While things have been kind of weird for the offense, Washington's defense has performed admirably early on. Washington comes into this weekend with the NFL's second-best defense, allowing just 75 yards per game on the ground and 202.3 yards per game through the air. Considering the inconsistency of the Eagles offense through three weeks, Washington could be capable of frustrating the Eagles all afternoon if the Eagles cannot iron out some wrinkles in practice this week.

One concern Washington may have is not having an interception yet, and this is a team that just played Eli Manning. Washington has just one fumble recovery too. One turnover in three games is rarely a good trend. Washington also only has four sacks in three games, which is a low number considering the overall defensive numbers for the team.

Washington's Players to Watch

Pierre Garcon, WR: If DeSean Jackson is not going to be available, the Eagles should see a healthy dose of veteran Pierre Garcon. Garcon has been the most targetted receiver so far for Washington and he has 161 yards and a touchdown.

Keenan Robinson, LB: Through three games this season, Robinson leads Washington in tackles with 24. Robinson has been around the ball often so far this season and he is becoming more of a contributor and leader as a result.

Outlook

There is no question the Eagles need to play a clean game and have the offense find its identity this weekend. Washington's defense will be stiff, and division games between the two long time rivals are always heated. Just look at last year's game in Philadelphia. If tensions run high, keeping composure will be essential for the Eagles. Washington is ready to implode, and if thigns go really well for Philadelphia then washington players may just start following the lead of Jonathan Papelbon and start calling out each other on the sideline.

Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.