Despite being the current No. 3 seed, the Eagles could still claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with specific outcomes in the final weeks. They could also still fall to the No. 4 seed.
Perhaps the most underrated aspect of the Eagles’ four-game postseason run to their second Super Bowl title last season was what did and didn’t happen in Week 18 of the regular season.
Faced with a chance to get Saquon Barkley the 40-year-old rushing record held by Eric Dickerson, the Eagles instead decided that the final Sunday of the season would be a day of rest for the majority of the team’s starters.
In hindsight, of course, there’s no doubt that it was the right decision, but in real time it was hotly debated.
“When Saquon was in that situation, I wanted them to take the pressure off of him by just saying they are going for it,“ said Terrell Davis, the former Denver Broncos back who owned the combined regular season and playoff rushing record before it was broken by Barkley during last year’s Super Bowl. ”Who’s to say (he) can’t do both? And why is it we start thinking about injuries when a person has a chance to do something that no one has ever done before? But he’s a team player."
Once again, the decision to sit or play his starters is going to loom for Eagles coach Nick Sirianni during the final weeks of the season.
“We’ll see what we do as we move forward,” Sirianni said Saturday night after the Eagles clinched their second straight NFC East title with a 28-19 win over the Washington Commanders. “We look at everything. We’ll do what’s best for the football team as we continue on. But I think it’s important that we continue to improve on this performance.”
This year’s decision about whether to play the starters won’t get as much attention as last year’s because no individual records are involved. In many ways, however, the decision that confronts Sirianni is going to be more difficult this season.
At the moment, the Eagles are the No. 3 seed in the NFC, but they could still end up as low as No. 4 or as high as No. 1. That said, the three seed is their most likely landing spot, which would guarantee them a home game in the Wild Card round of the playoffs and nothing more.
The only way the Eagles can fall to the four seed is if they lose their final two games and Carolina, which took over first place in the NFC South Sunday by beating Tampa Bay, wins at home against Seattle and on the road against the Buccaneers.
The Eagles’ climb to the second seed is very realistic given the difficulty of the Bears’ remaining schedule. The Eagles (10-5) can earn the two seed if they win at Buffalo and at home against the Commanders if the Bears (11-4) lose at San Francisco and at home against Detroit.
To become the one seed, the Eagles need a lot to happen. In addition to winning both their games, they need Seattle to lose at Carolina and at San Francisco and the Rams to either lose at Atlanta or at home against Arizona. It’s the latter scenario that seems the least likely.
The tricky part here is figuring out the best scenario for the Eagles. Obviously having the No. 1 seed is the best scenario, but what’s the value of the No. 2 seed worth compared to giving the starters a week off ahead of the playoffs?
Ahead of Week 17 last season, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson and Mekhi Becton were all given rest days during practice and that meant they were all dealing with some issues that we didn’t necessarily know much about.
This year, we know that Johnson is dealing with a foot injury that has kept him out of the last five games and Jalen Carter has issues with both shoulders that have kept him out of the last three games.
It’s no secret that the Eagles also have other guys — Dickerson (calf, knee, back, you name it), Cam Jurgens (back, knee), Barkley (stinger), Zack Baun (hand) — who could probably benefit from a week off.
“I think so,” offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said when asked if a week off before the postseason would help the team. “That’s just the nature of being an offensive lineman. You’re carrying injuries. Small ones. No one is 100% going into the back of the year and going into the playoffs. Yeah, I think it would benefit us with the injuries we’re carrying up front ... but I’m not the coach.”
The Eagles’ starters do need to be on the field Sunday at Buffalo for obvious reasons. The No. 2 seed, which is where they made their run from last season, is still very much a reality and it also wouldn’t hurt for them to beat a good team heading into the playoffs. The Eagles also won’t know the result of the Chicago-San Francisco game when they take the field because that’s the Sunday night game.
Wins over the Raiders and Commanders got them back on the right track, but there’s still some lingering doubts about a team that lost three straight to the Cowboys, Bears and Chargers.
Barkley was more than willing to go for the rushing record a year ago, but he understood that the week off before the playoffs meant a lot to the men who create holes for him up front.
With seeding still on the line, he’s ready to play at Buffalo and against the Commanders.
“I’m going to let what naturally happens happen,” Barkley said. “I know we have an opportunity to still get the one (seed). Mathematically we’re still not out of it, but again I’m all about what’s best for the team. Whatever coach thinks is the best decision for us, I’m happy with that.
“But right now I’m focused on going to Buffalo in a tough environment against a hell of a team that’s playing at a high level with a (former) MVP (Josh Allen). Best on best, see what they got. Those are the ones you want.”
Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Category: General Sports
