Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni defended his decision to rest starters in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Washington Commanders despite a shot at earning the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
With the Chicago Bears losing 19-16 to the Detroit Lions, a victory would have given Philly the higher seed and potentially two home games to open the postseason tournament. Instead, the Eagles' backups couldn't fend off Washington and now face the possibility of going on the road in the Divisional Round, if they beat the banged-up San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
"I knew this was an outcome, that these things could happen," Sirianni said, via the Associated Press. "One thing I could guarantee was giving them rest. I couldn't guarantee them anything else. Being healthy and going into the playoffs healthy is a big deal for us."
The Eagles sat out key players on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee got the start and went 21 of 40 for 241 yards with a touchdown, an interception and took three sacks. Philly also sat the bulk of its defensive starters, with the backups unable to hold Washington and starting veteran Josh Johnson out of the end zone in the fourth quarter. Philly entered the final frame leading, 17-10, but gave up two scores and the offense managed just two first downs in its final three possessions.
"We can play the what-if game," safety Reed Blankenship said. "When the Lions win, when you're on the sideline, you're like, 'Man, I wish I would have played,' but you're not going to know that. I'd rather have a week of rest and let my body recover than go out there and be in a dogfight and then feel bad going into a playoff game."
Philly got the help it needed to leap one spot with Detroit beating Chicago, but the backups couldn't finish the deal. Whether the decision will come back to bite Philly remains to be seen, but Sirianni opted for the known, giving his key players a rest week before the tournament starts.
"I know there will be debate on that," Sirianni said.
The No. 3-seeded Eagles will start their Super Bowl defense at home against the 49ers. If the top seeds hold serve in the Wild Card Round, Philly would head to Chicago for the Divisional Round.
