ASHBURN, Va. - First, the New Orleans Saints. Then, the Green Bay Packers. Now, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Welcome to the NFL, Patrick Ramsey.
When the rookie quarterback makes his third career start for the Washington Redskins (5-8) at 1 p.m. today at Veterans Stadium, he will seek his first victory as a starter against a Philadelphia defense that many consider to be one of the league's best.
"Hopefully, that'll be this week," Ramsey said. "But we know we're playing an excellent football team and an excellent defense. I think we're going to go in there and stick to our game plan."
Planning a strategy to attack the league's fifth-ranked defense has been one of the challenges many offensive coordinators have tackled - and have failed to solve.
The Eagles (10-3) have won four in a row and are in line to grab their second consecutive NFC East championship, courtesy of a defensive unit that is surrendering just 296.5 yards a contest and is second only to Tampa Bay in points allowed per game (15.9 for Philadelphia to 12.2 for Tampa Bay).
It all starts with the Eagles' front four of Hugh Douglas, Darwin Walker, Brandon Whiting and Corey Simon. Powered by Douglas' 11 sacks, the defensive line has contributed 24 1/2 of the unit's league-best 46 sacks.
Throw in backup N.D. Kalu, a former Redskin with six sacks, and reserve Paul Grasmanis (three sacks), and it's easy to see why Philadelphia is the best in the league at applying pressure on the quarterback.
The Eagles have registered 20 sacks in their past four games, since being held without a sack for the only time this season in a 35-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 10.
When Washington was host to Philadelphia in a Monday night game on Sept. 16, quarterback Danny Wuerffel - who replaced starter Shane Matthews late in the game - was sacked four times.
Some of today's intriguing matchups in the trenches will involve Redskins left tackle Chris Samuels against Douglas and right tackle Jon Jansen against Whiting (five sacks).
"Our tackles match up real good against their defensive ends," said right guard Wilbert Brown. "Inside, we had a tough time the last time we played them. This time, we plan on coming out real hard, running the ball, and getting after them."
Battering the Eagles with Stephen Davis - a three-time 1,300-yard rusher - and a consistent ground game would appear to be a good idea for Washington. But Davis, who has rushed only 20 times or more in four games this season and has only 796 yards, has taken a back seat to the passing game in Washington coach Steve Spurrier's Fun 'N' Gun offense.
Besides, Davis gained just 53 yards in the first meeting with Philadelphia, which is holding opponents to 99.5 rushing yards a game.
That puts the pressure on Ramsey. The Tulane graduate did contribute to a season-high 447 yards of total offense and second-best 23 first downs against the New York Giants last week, but repeating that feat against the Eagles will be difficult.
Only the Buccaneers, Giants, Colts and Rams have given up fewer first downs than Philadelphia's 224. Plus, the Eagles' defense is third in the league in keeping opponents from converting third-down opportunities, allowing just 32.4 percent of such tries.
That places a premium on Ramsey & Co. making significant gains on first and second downs to avoid the third-and-long situations that seemingly play into Philadelphia's blitz schemes.
"What we do on first downs is a big key," center Larry Moore said. "How many yards we gain will determine what we do on third down. We'll try to stay out of third-and-longs."
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Turnover battle
Philadelphia lives off take-aways. The Eagles have forced 28 turnovers, tied for the fifth-best mark in the NFL. On the flip side, Washington has turned it over 32 times, the third-worst number in the league. If the Redskins repeat last week's five-turnover flop, chalk one up in the loss column.
2. Ground game
With quarterback Donovan McNabb recovering from a broken ankle, Philadelphia has won four straight by relying on its fourth-ranked rushing offense, which averages 148.5 yards a game . Running back Duce Staley is eighth in the NFC with 883 rushing yards. He has rushed for 100 yards or more in four games.
3. Attack A.J. Feeley
The Eagles' third-string quarterback has been serviceable in contributing to two consecutive victories as the starter. He's thrown three touchdown passes, while being sacked just three times and intercepted once. The Redskins' 10th-ranked defense can upset Feeley's comfort level by applying pressure with a solid pass rush.
Redskins today
Matchup: Redskins (5-8) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1s0-3)
Site: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
Time: 1 p.m.
TV/Radio: Chs. 45, 5/WNAV (1430 AM), WJFK (106.7 FM)
Line: Eagles by 7 1/2