Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles open the season on the road against Washington looking to open with an NFC East victory, and avenge five consecutive losses to the Redskins dating back to the 2014 season.

How do these NFC East rivals match up? Which players will figure most in the outcome? Here's a look at the tale of the tape for Week 1.

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EAGLES

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Bill Streicher | USA TODAY Sports

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QUARTERBACK

The Eagles structured the entire offseason around facilitating Carson Wentz's continued growth and development in his second NFL season. Much of the Eagles' success or failures this season are tied to whether or not the additions of wide receivers Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, and running back LeGarrette Blount leads to Wentz taking a monumental statistical and mechanical leap forward. Week 1 brings Wentz back to the scene of a 2016 loss to the Redskins where he was sacked five times, will a healthy offensive line lead to the losing skid against the Redskins being snapped on Sunday?

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Matt Rourke | AP Photo

RUNNING BACKS

In a somewhat surprising move, the Eagles kept five running backs on the 53-man roster; veterans Darren Sproles, LeGarrette Blount, Wendell Smallwood, fourth-round rookie Donnel Pumphrey, and rookie free agent Corey Clement.

While it seems unlikely that all five will dress each week, Smallwood seems best fit to carry a three-down workload, Blount is primed to be the short-yardage specialist this offense has lacked in recent years, and Sproles will be the spark plug igniting big plays and catching passes out of the backfield.

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Bill Streicher | USA TODAY Sports

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WIDE RECEIVERS

The offseason additions of Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, and rookie Mack Hollins elevate this group from being among the worst wide receiving corps in football the past two seasons to arguably one of the strongest positions on the roster. The question remains, though, will Wentz, Jeffery, and Smith strike instant chemistry in the season opener? Don't be surprised if limited time together during the preseason leads to a bit of a growth period for the receivers and the offense while they get their timing and chemistry down.

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Tim Hawk | For NJ.com

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TIGHT ENDS

Zach Ertz finished as the Eagles' leading receiver in 2016 with a career-high 78 catches for 816 yards and four touchdowns. While the presence of Jeffery should open up space for Ertz to operate underneath, he'll face some strong competition to repeat that feat. Look for Trey Burton to see an increased role in the offense and passing game, as well this season.

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How many games will the Eagles win this season?

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Winslow Townson | AP Images for Panini

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OFFENSIVE LINE

The first game of Lane Johnson's 10-game suspension last season was the first meeting between the Eagles and Redskins at FedEx Field. While Johnson will likely have his hands full with Redskins' DE Ryan Kerrigan, having him in the lineup should lead to a cleaner pocket for Wentz to operate than the five-sack debacle last year when Halapoulivaati Vaitai made his debut in Johnson's place at right tackle.

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Eric Hartline | USA TODAY Sports

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DEFENSIVE LINE

The offseason additions of defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, and first-round pick Derek Barnett bolster the talent at a position group that already includes Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Vinny Curry, and Chris Long. Whether the Eagles' defense improves on last year's finish as the No. 13 rated defense in the NFL will largely be determined by the pressure generated by the defensive line. Coincidentally enough, so too might the outcome of Sunday's game be determined by how much pressure this group gets on Kirk Cousins.

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Wendell Smallwood recalls kickoff return for touchdown vs. Redskins last season

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Michael Perez | AP Photo

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LINEBACKERS

A case can be made that Jordan Hicks is both the best and most important player on this defense. However, perhaps the most positive aspect of the preseason for this defense was the dominance of Mychal Kendricks, who intercepted three passes and returned one for a touchdown during the exhibition slate. If Kendricks can provide reliable depth behind Nigel Bradham, it will give coordinator Jim Schwartz even more options to perhaps blitz even more than he's accustomed to.

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Bill Streicher | USA TODAY Sports

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CORNERBACKS

No position group underwent more turnover than the cornerback position both this offseason and throughout training camp. Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills are projected to start outside with Patrick Robinson as the nickel. Third-round rookie Rasul Douglas and recently acquired former Jets cornerback Dexter McDougle provide quality youthful depth. It is this group, and Darby in particular, that could lead to Schwartz taking more chances and blitzing far more frequently than in recent years, which should give Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins a much different look than the previous two meetings.

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Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

SAFETIES

Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod form one of the top safety tandems in the NFL, but it is the presence of Corey Graham and Jaylen Watkins on the roster that will give Schwartz the flexibility to drop Jenkins down into the nickel cornerback role and lose little in terms of coverage ability over the top.

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REDSKINS

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Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

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QUARTERBACK

While there might be some acrimony between Kirk Cousins and the organization, Cousins has been downright dominant against the Eagles. In his five starts, four of them victories, Cousins has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,579 yards with 12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

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Geoff Burke | USA TODAY Sports

RUNNING BACKS

Entering his second NFL season, Rob Kelley sits atop the Redskins depth chart, but he'll be pushed by rookie Samaje Perine. In two games against the Eagles last season, Kelley rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. If Kelley and the Redskins' ground attack replicates that success, Sunday could be a long afternoon for the Eagles' defense.

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Jasen Vinlove | USA TODAY Sports

WIDE RECEIVERS

Gone are DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, replaced by Terrelle Pryor and Jamison Crowder. Pryor, at 6-foot-4, can stretch the field similarly to Crowder. Both will provide an early challenge for a revamped Eagles' secondary still trying to find its footing.

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Mark Tenally | AP Photo

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TIGHT END

Statistically speaking, the Eagles are among the best teams at covering the tight end position. Jordan Reed, one of the league's best at the position, will provide an early test.

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Brad Mills | USA TODAY Sports

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OFFENSIVE LINE

Trent Williams vs. Brandon Graham will be one of this game's defining match ups. Former first-round pick Brandon Scherff is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance in his second NFL season.

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Alshon Jeffery to Josh Norman: 'I do my talking on the field'

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Kim Klement | USA TODAY Sports

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DEFENSIVE LINE

First-round rookie Jonathan Allen walks into a starting job at defensive end, and defensive tackle Ziggy Wolf is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his nine-year career.

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Tim Hawk | For NJ.com

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LINEBACKERS

Ryan Kerrigan sacked Carson Wentz three times in the two meetings between these teams last season, Lane Johnson will likely be tasked with keeping him off Wentz's back this time around. Meanwhile, Zach Brown steps into the starting inside linebacker spot after a breakout Pro Bowl campaign with the Bills last season.

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Alex Brandon | AP Photo

CORNERBACKS

Josh Norman remains one of the most physical cornerbacks in the league and is one of the preeminent players at the position. The matchup between Jeffery and Norman will go a long way towards determining how well the Eagles are able to move the football, and maybe even the outcome of the game. Not to be overshadowed by Norman, Josh Breeland posted a career-high 62 tackles and three interceptions last season.

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Alex Brandon | AP Photo

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SAFETIES

D.J. Swearinger enters his fifth season after his personal best as a pro in 2016, fishing with 66 tackles, 2.0 sacks, eight pass breakups, and three interceptions. Meanwhile, DeShazor Everett moves up into a starting role after previously starring on special teams.

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ADVANTAGES:

QUARTERBACK: Redskins

RUNNING BACK: Eagles

WIDE RECEIVER: Even

TIGHT END: Even

OFFENSIVE LINE: Even

DEFENSIVE LINE: Eagles

LINEBACKERS: Redskins

CORNERBACKS: Redskins

SAFETIES: Eagles

SPECIAL TEAMS: Eagles

COACHING: Redskins

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PREDICTION:

Opening against the Washington Redskins, a team within the NFC East that the Eagles have lost five straight games against is not ideal for a team looking to not only break in a new-look offense but also a secondary that will be tested by the likes of Pryor and Crowder. Kirk Cousins always plays exceptionally well against the Eagles and it could take some time for Wentz, Jeffery and the offense to find their footing. This one could be ugly, and could be decided by a late turnover.

SCORE: 26-24 REDSKINS

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THE NO HUDDLE SHOW:

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MORE EAGLES COVERAGE:

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Tim Hawk and Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

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For the latest Eagles news, including a comprehensive preview of Sunday's game against the Redskins, head back over to our Eagles homepage.

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HOW TO REACH. ME:

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Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoPHL.

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Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com