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The Philadelphia Eagles are in a good position just before the playoffs. Philly is 11-5 heading into Week 18 and have already won the NFC East division title. Philadelphia could make one fascinating choice before this weekend’s matchup that could have implications on playoff seeding.
The Eagles are expected to rest QB Jalen Hurts against the Commanders in Week 18, per team reporter Jeff McLane. They will also sit most of their starters for their season finale.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni recently explained the benefits of having a “bye” week before the playoffs. That makes this news much less surprising.
“If I look back and how beneficial some of the byes that we’ve had have been, that’s part of the reason why you think through it,” Sirianni said Monday per McLane. “It’s a marathon of a season. You give your guys some rest, you get some time to think through some different things, even though you’re preparing for an opponent as you go.”
Sirianni also noted that bye weeks were important for the Eagles during their past two Super Bowl runs.
“Both times that I’ve been here that we’ve been to the Super Bowl, we’ve had that opportunity for a bye, and that’s ’22 and obviously ’24,” Sirianni added.
This decision by the Eagles could have huge playoff implications for the Bears.
Chicago currently occupies the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs with the Eagles at No. 3. In theory, those positions could flip if the Bears lose to the Lions and the Eagles beat the Commanders in Week 18.
Therefore, Philly’s decision to rest their starters could actually keep them from improving their seed in the playoffs.
The Bears will have more to play for than the Lions on Sunday. Detroit has already been eliminated from playoff contention and could be without Amon-Ra St. Brown. That means an upset by the Lions could be quite unlikely.
Ultimately, the Eagles will make the playoffs either way. They’ve made it clear that getting rest is more important than playoff seeding. Hopefully that decision does not come back to bite them in a few weeks.
Eagles vs. Commanders kicks off at 4:25PM ET on Sunday.
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