The Argument for Rest

The Eagles are still alive for the number two seed in the NFC. They need to win on Sunday and have the Bears lose their finale to the Lions. Getting the two seed would be great. It is easy to forget the Birds were the two seed last year. As hot as they were, the Lions were the top dogs heading into the playoffs. The ability to get to the second seed means Nick Sirianni should play his starters, right?

Maybe.

There is a real argument for resting key guys. Part of the Eagles secret sauce in 2022 and 2024 was getting to January healthy. They were even able to sit some key guys in Week 18 last year. Every bit of rest can help. The NFL season is a physical grind. As players get worn down, it can affect their performance. One week of rest may not seem like a big deal, but it can make a difference.

The OL has been a disappointment this season. A big part of that is how worn down they got from last season. The Eagles played in 21 games and ran the ball more than 700 times. That is a lot of wear and tear on the big guys doing the blocking. It took a physical toll. A week off won’t get Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens back to 2024 level, but it would help them be fresh for the playoffs.

Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith have both dealt with injuries this year. They are tough, physical players. If the Eagles have any hope at a Super Bowl run, they need Carter and Smith to play like they did last January. A week off wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to help them.

Resting key guys takes away the chance of injury. Older fans may remember the 2003 team. They got off to a slow start, but then were playing their best football down the stretch. We thought that might be Andy Reid’s Super Bowl team. And then Brian Westbrook got hurt in the season finale and missed the playoffs. The Eagles lost the NFC title game 14-3 to the Panthers in a miserable showing.

There is risk in this. You really do want the two seed if possible. Tanner McKee and the role players could beat the Commanders on Sunday and stay in the running for the number two spot. It sounds like Washington will have Josh Johnson at QB. That team has been a mess this year.

If the Eagles controlled the path to the two seed I think this would be more of a no-brainer to play everyone. But you need the Bears to lose. They will be hosting the Lions. How do you predict that game? The Lions have been wildly erratic this year. DVOA rankings have them #3 in the league, but they have an 8-8 record and are out of the playoffs. Dan Campbell might have his guys sky high on Sunday. They can easily beat the Bears. I just wouldn’t count on it.

Nick Sirianni has to make decisions based on what his best for the Eagles in the postseason. If he thinks a week of rest is a legitimate factor in another Super Bowl run, rest your guys. You want to win and want the chance at the two seed, but this is a topsy turvy season. We saw the juggernaut Rams lose to the Falcons on Monday night. LA has lost two games in a row. SF doesn’t have a pass rush. Seatte has Sam Darnold. The NFC South is a mess. The Packers are not peaking as we head to the playoffs.

The NFC is wide open. Heck, the whole NFL feels wide open right now. There is no juggernaut. If there is a year when going on the road in the NFC title game shouldn’t be as much of a factor, this is it. The more I think about it, resting guys seems like the way to go.

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