Nobody in Philadelphia was happy when the NFL decided to move the Eagles-Washington game back to prime time on week 17. We all think the same thing: “Do I have to stay up late to watch this ?!”
Got it.
I maybe even mumbled some chosen words to myself when I heard the news. But there are still many reasons to watch this game on Sunday night and none of them have to do with Jim Schwartz’s “no-hat rule”.
Here are five of them:
1. Can they lose?
Yes, this is one of those weird games where Eagles fans really need their team to lose. It can be difficult to cheer for during the game, but it is clear that this is the best thing that can happen. Now, I understand if the Cowboys beat the Giants and you don’t want to send the most hated rival to the playoffs … but you have to think about your own team for a second.
The Eagles are likely to be in a scenario where losing this game will give them a better choice in the draft. The only good thing about Sunday night’s game is that, at the start of the game, we will know exactly where the Eagles will end the draw with a win or lose.
Here is a look at the status of the project as it stands now:
3. Houston (Miami): 4-11
4. Atlanta: 4-11
5. Cincinnati: 4-10-1
6. Philadelphia: 4-10-1
7. Detroit: 5-10
8. New York Giants: 5-10
9. Panthers: 5-10
10. Denver: 5-10
Therefore, depending on what happens at the beginning of Sunday, the Eagles can end in a selection as high as in third place or as low as in tenth.
2. Jalen Hurts has another chance
Hurts will have his fourth start in the 2020 season, meaning the Eagles will have a quarter of the season to try to find out if he is the franchise’s future quarterback.
A few weeks ago, I asked Doug Pederson if that was enough time to make a proper assessment:
“I think you have a good idea,” said Pederson in December. “Obviously, we haven’t had more than 16 games, a pre-season. We don’t really know necessarily. I think you can go back and just watch it since your college days. Again, Alabama, Oklahoma, how he led these teams and the success he had there, I think that gives a good indication of who he is and what he may be, I think, in the future.
“We still have to improve. There is room to grow. Nothing is perfect, and there are still some mistakes that we have to correct, even in his game. It’s a little small sample size to really make that determination, overall. “
In his three games, Hurts is 1-2, he has been far from perfect, but he has done really good things. Overall, he completed 55% of his passes for 847 yards, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and also ran for 238 yards and another score.
Will this game change any opinions about him? Probably not. But it will be a chance for him to recover after a game in Dallas where he did not perform very well and turned the ball a few times.
3. Seeing the future
Hurts is not the only young player we will see on Sunday. There are several young people who will have one more chance to play a lot of snaps in attack or defense. And while the Eagles’ coaches want to win the game, they need to let some of these young players take action.
Here are some names I want to see a lot on Sunday: (I will go alphabetically) Grayland Arnold, Genard Avery, Shaun Bradley, Travis Fulgham, John Hightower, Jason Huntley, Jalen Reagor, Davion Taylor, Brett Toth, K’Von Wallace, Quez Watkins.
4. Doug Pederson still making the most of his guys
The only thing we always hear about Pederson is that his players never give up on him, that they will always strive. But all the other examples came when the Eagles still had a chance to make the playoffs. That chance is over.
So the Eagles are going to play hard on Sunday? Pederson had better hope.
It is very unlikely that the result of Sunday’s game will really determine the future of the head coach, but if Jeff Lurie sees that the squad is still fighting with nothing to fight for beyond pride, it reflects very positively on the head coach. Of course, you’re probably saying that you don’t care about the effort; you want wins. But one of the main reasons why Lurie brought Pederson to Philadelphia was his ability to connect with the players and make the most of them. This is an important part of Pederson’s role as a coach.
5. Saying goodbye to some great ones
If you don’t want to be openly sentimental with this game, I understand. But this could be your last chance to see some of the greatest names of all time in Eagles’ uniforms.
This could be the Eagles’ last game for Zach Ertz, Vinny Curry, Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and more. And there’s even a chance that Jason Kelce will retire. As bad as this season has been, set aside a second on Sunday to remember that.
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