-
Tim McManus
Philadelphia– eagles Coach Nick Sirianni stood by, resting several of his starters in the regular season finale Washington CommandersEven though this decision negatively impacted his team’s ranking.
The Eagles needed a win over Washington on Sunday, plus a Chicago Bears damage to detroit lionsTo move up from a No. 3 seed to a No. 2 seed. The Lions kept their finish intact with a 19-16 road win, but the Eagles lost. 24-17Locked them into the No. 3 slot and a matchup against the sixth seed san francisco 49ers In the wild-card round of the playoffs.
When Sirianni was asked if he regretted not playing all of his starters, he said, “No.” “You go through your process, you make what you think is the best decision for the football team and that’s what we did. I knew it was [a possible] The result, that these things can happen.
“The one thing I could guarantee was him getting rest. I couldn’t guarantee anything else. And us staying healthy and getting healthy and going into the playoffs is a big deal for us.”
Tanner McKee got the start for jalen hurts at quarterback and was 21 of 40 for 241 yards with one touchdown and one interception. McKee was playing mostly as a backup. One notable exception early on was the receiver. devonta smithWho entered the game 1,000 yards from 44 yards out. Smith (3 catches, 52 yards) reached the benchmark in the latter stages of the first quarter and sat the rest of the game.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s significant, but just talked to Coach Nick and he gave me a chance to go out there and do it,” said Smith, who reached the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his career. “I’m grateful that they allowed me to do this.”
Many of the starting players, including linemen, played defensive roles. Jordan Davis, moro ozomo And jalix huntBut most of the regular players did not see action, a decision the players later supported in the locker room,
“We Can Play the What-If Game,” Security reed blankenship Said. “When the Lions win, when you’re on the sideline, you say, ‘Man, I wish I was playing,’ but you wouldn’t know it. I’d rather take a week off and let my body heal than go out there and be in a dogfight and then feel bad going into a playoff game.”
Attention immediately turned to the upcoming matchup with the 49ers. San Francisco’s offense continued to flourish, averaging 36 points on its six-game winning streak before a 13–3 loss. Seattle Seahawks On Saturday.
“We have to stop their race, Christian McCaffrey“Defensive end Brandon Graham Said about what comes to mind when thinking of the 49ers. “Then on top of that, [Brock] Purdy Has been doing great since he came back.
“We just have to be us and bring energy and play fast on defense and put the offense in a great position.”
