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Everyone knows that is not true
The 256th NFL game of the season, played in prime time on NBC, is usually a great playoff appetizer. Last year the 49ers beat the Seahawks in the Sunday night football showcase to win NFC West and take the field advantage in the playoffs. This year everyone watched with a bitter taste in their mouths.
The Giants, having beaten the Cowboys earlier today, just needed the Eagles to beat Washington to be crowned NFC East champions. Washington played like a team that knew they were on the verge of the playoffs. The Eagles players also played hard, but not their coach.
Early in the fourth quarter, Doug Pederson gave the hook to Jalen Hurts and put third career player Nate Sudfeld in the game at quarterback. Sudfeld was terrible and the Eagles lost without a fight.
After the game, Pederson explained his decision.
“Yeah, I was training to win,” said Pederson. “Yes, it was my decision only. Nate has obviously been here for four years and I felt he deserved an opportunity to take some pictures.
“Look, if there’s anything out there that thinks I wasn’t trying to win the 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. We were going to win the game. “
The charitable interpretation of this quote is that Pederson thought he could give Sudfeld a chance to play while trying to win the game. Everything that the national television audience saw of Sudfeld should make it clear that this could not be true. The game was over by the time Sudfeld entered the field. Pederson is right: the star pair who weren’t inactive stayed in the game but at the most important position on the field the Eagles played a guy who looked as inefficient and out of date as the Cowboys quarterback. Ben DiNucci was against Philadelphia earlier. this season.
The uncharitable interpretation is that Pederson was lying to himself when he claimed the Eagles were trying to win the game. Pederson may point to the presence of Ertz, Graham and Slay as proof that he hadn’t given up on the game completely, but there’s simply no way to make up for that with his decision to put Sudfeld in charge of the offense. Even though Hurts easily played his worst game of the season, it’s ludicrous to suggest the Eagles had a better chance of winning with him on the bench.
Pederson added Monday morning that he was also trying to assess some of the players lower in the depths table.
If the goal was to assess the Eagles’ quarterback future, then Hurts should have played the whole game. The biggest decision the team will have to make this offseason is whether Hurts will remain the starter and make Carson Wentz the most expensive replacement in the league. Every extra shot Hurts takes, especially in a game where he struggled against an elite defensive line, makes that decision easier.
Nor is it college, where a benchwarmer gets some action in the last game of the season as a reward for their hard work over the years. Unless you’re a playoff team unable to improve your ranking, players want to win every regular season game. The only other time Sudfeld saw extended action was in the final game of the 2017 season, when the 13-2 Eagles rested Nick Foles against the Cowboys after already taking the field advantage.
Giants players and fans (myself included) are understandably upset that the Eagles’ lack of effort ended up deciding the division race. (The Giants could have pulled their spell out of the Eagles’ hands as well by winning more than six games.) Fans of the other 30 non-Washington NFL teams should also be upset that the Eagles turned the game into a mockery and that Pederson had the nerve to pretend it wasn’t a sham.
The best of IS
The Giants players were angry with the Eagles for starting the game. … The Dolphins missed a chance in the playoffs, but suggesting Tua Tagovailoa’s move is ridiculous. … The Alabama-Ohio State national title game looks quite familiar. … How the wheels came out of the Patriot dynasty.
In the world of sport
Lamar Jackson is the first QB to rush for 1,000 in two different seasons but didn’t know it. … Mason Rudolph and Myles Garrett, a year after the infamous helmet swinging incident, shook hands after the Browns-Steelers game. … The Cowboys might have beaten the Giants if Mike McCarthy had challenged a questionable wrestling call, but he didn’t think it was as obvious a call as everyone else. … Drew Brees is expected to retire after this season.[…]The NHL is reportedly planning two away games in Lake Tahoe in February.
This quote from Jason Kelce from a few weeks ago is much more relevant now
The Eagles prank took the Jets off the back page
As everyone watched the Eagles embarrass themselves, Stephen Curry broke out for a career-high 62
Derrick Henry is the rare running back to slowly start his career before breaking out in his mid-twenties.
How can that mistreat the smuggler?
AJ Brown’s run was excellent but Ryan Tannehill’s throw was flawless
Give this man his money
This guy happened one day
Titans fans will talk about ‘single doink’ for years to come
Name the Returning Player of the Year award after Alex Smith and make it the trophy
Jayson Tatum in the cover!
Boomer has a long nap in his future
Quite delicate!
In a division as unpredictable as the NFC East, how could they all pick the same team?
This will be hanging in every dentist’s office in Buffalo
Ridiculous skill
Adam Gase lasted five hours after Jets’ last game
Bill O’Brien put this team back for many, many years
Caribbean winter leagues are great because you get baseball highlights in the dead of winter
Sadly, he won’t be recreating his Gray Cup parade
Jimbo didn’t want to be part of that Gatorade shower
Thrilling video
Imagine if he had missed
No sport
Ratatouille: the musical (which I looked a bit reluctantly but really enjoyed) raised over a million dollars for charity. … The Mandalorian was the most pirated show of 2020. … US movie ticket sales fell 80% in 2020.
The solar system is pretty cool
Someone brought her husband’s “Magic: The Gathering” cards. Antiques tour and they have been evaluated up to six figures
A good song
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