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ASHBURN, VA – Washington football coach Ron Rivera has a quick message for anyone upset that Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter of a tight: tough game.
While some have said the move helped Washington beat the Eagles 20-14 on Sunday night to clinch the NFC East and prevent the New York Giants from winning the division, Rivera said he did not want to hear such a speech. .
“You play who’s over there,” he said. “I don’t apologize for winning.”
Washington won the division with a 7-9 record, ending a game ahead of the Giants. The Eagles, who were already playing without 10 starters for various reasons, knocked out Hurts to play the rarely used Nate Sudfeld with Washington ahead 17-14.
After the game, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said, “It was my decision only. Nate has been here for four years and I felt he deserved a chance to take pictures. thing that thinks I wasn’t trying to win the game. Game … [Zach] Ertz is over there, Brandon Graham is over there, Darius Slay is over there. All of our best guys are still on the pitch at the end of it. “
This decision has led others to criticize Pederson. But Rivera doesn’t want Pederson’s decision to undermine what Washington has accomplished, needing to win five of its last seven games to claim the title.
“Nobody complained when Pittsburgh did what they did against Cleveland,” Rivera said, referring to the Steelers’ decision to rest starters, including Ben Roethlisberger, in a game that had playoff implications for others. “It’s been a tough road for us and nobody seems to care. Nobody cared two weeks ago when we didn’t have some of our best players. Nobody cared last week when we didn’t have them. not, so why should we be worried if a coach decides to do something better for his team? “
Washington quarterback Alex Smith had to miss two games with a strained right calf, resulting in back-to-back losses. Rivera benched Dwayne Haskins against Carolina in Week 16, turning to Taylor Heinicke, who last played in 2018 and was out of the league until Washington signed him on December 8. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin missed the Panthers game with a sprained ankle. Rivera underwent seven weeks of cancer treatment during the season, leaving him tired and often having to leave the facility several hours earlier than usual.
On Sunday, Hurts didn’t have a good game throwing the ball. He only completed 7 of 20 passes for 72 yards. He finished 2 of 8 in the third quarter for 8 yards. Hurts ran for 34 yards and two touchdowns.
Sudfeld completed 5 of 12 passes for 32 yards and was sacked twice. A fumble led to a Washington basket.
Hurts’ mobility allowed him to escape bad situations, often leading to casualties. He was fired once. But he was intercepted, also leading to a basket.
“Many people are happy to [the move] , a lot of people aren’t happy about it and it’s just hard, ”Rivera said. So many things have happened in this world that are difficult, which are difficult. It’s just a game that we play, and we play the game as it comes to us. And I’m not going to apologize.
“You apologize for losing in the playoffs, but you don’t apologize for coming in.”
After the game, Washington defensive end Montez Sweat said “no comment” when first asked about the move. He then explained the obvious differences between the two passers-by.
“It’s definitely a difference when a less mobile quarterback comes into the game,” Sweat said. “A quarterback with legs is more dynamic and more difficult to run. Jalen is a dynamic guy, but we think we would have finished the job with either.”
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