While the New York Giants waited and the world watched, the NFC East was decided when the Washington Football Team prevailed in a confused way, winning 20-14 against a Philadelphia Eagles team that made a series of stunning decisions.
After a surprising fourth loss, Doug Pederson drew the scrutiny of many – mainly Giants players – when he decided to replace newcomer defender Jalen Hurts with reserve Nate Sudfeld.
Lost by three points, with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Pederson chose to take a chance in the fourth and fourth and Hurts fouled on what would be his last play of the game. Sudfeld was brought in, launched an interception and fumbled in each of the Eagles’ next two attacks and Washington left with a division victory.
Although scrutiny abounded, Pederson explained his decision and said he was working hard to win the game.
“Yes, I was training to win,” Pederson told reporters. “Yes, that decision was entirely mine. Nate has obviously been here for four years. And I felt like he deserved an opportunity to take some pictures. Listen, if there’s anything out there that thinks I wasn’t trying to win the game. I want to tell, [Zach] Ertz is outside. Brandon Graham is out there. Darius Slay is out there. You know, all of our best guys were still on the pitch at the end. we went [trying to] win the game.”
After the Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, they needed the Eagles to win the NFC East. Obviously, this did not happen and the Giants players did not hesitate to show their dissatisfaction with Pederson’s decision to play Hurts for Sudfeld.