Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni defended his decision to rest the Eagles’ starters on Sunday.
The defending champions had an opportunity to leapfrog the Chicago Bears for the second seed in the NFC playoffs after they lost to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. But the Eagles’ backups couldn’t close out the game, losing to the Washington Commanders 24-17. Sirianni said his decision was best for the team, pointing to their previous success with first-round byes.
“I knew this was an outcome, that this [thing] could happen. ... One thing I could guarantee was giving [the starters] rest. I couldn’t guarantee anything else. And us being healthy and going into the playoffs healthy is a big deal for us. That’s served us well in the past.”
Since he took over as head coach in 2021, the Eagles have been to the playoffs four times (not including this season). Of those four seasons, they appeared in the Wild Card round three times. They lost twice, in 2021 and 2023.
They won the 1st seed and a first-round bye in the NFC in 2022: they went on to win the NFC Championship, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
The Eagles did not rest all their starters—wide receiver Devonta Smith played a few snaps to chase a 1,000-yard receiving season.
Some starters along the defensive line, including defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo, and edge rusher Nolan Smith, took snaps throughout the game to maintain a full rotation and keep everybody fresh. Several other starters, such as free safety Reed Blankenship, dressed for the game in case of injury, since the position was already depleted.
Sirianni, however, shot down the idea of letting those active starters close out the game to secure the win, arguing that it would not have been fair to pull them off the bench cold and deprive them of rest, and that he did not want to go back on his word.
Sirianni also said the practice reps were critical for depth players and substitutes who will have critical snaps in the playoffs. He pointed to wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who had a critical catch that set up the Eagles’ first touchdown in Super Bowl LIX, and running back Will Shipley, who ripped off a 57-yard run then scored a touchdown in the NFC Championship last year.
The Eagles had a 17-10 lead going into the fourth quarter of the game. But the Commanders scored 14 unanswered points, and the Eagles’ offensive backups were unable to put together a game-tying drive in the final minute and lost, 24-17.
Had the Eagles won, they would have jumped to the second seed in the playoffs and would have played the reeling Green Bay Packers, who have lost their last four games.
The Eagles will stay in the third seed and take on the San Francisco 49ers, who won six of their final seven games and competed for the top spot in the conference despite a slew of injuries throughout the season.
Sirianni also shot down the idea of the team using this game to give the first team some momentum going into next week.
“We treat every practice like we’re using that as momentum,” he said.
“[We] had [a] good week of practice with the guys, and good individual work to sharpen our skills. ... This is what I felt was best for us, was to be rested and healthy going into the playoffs. And everything else was considered, obviously. But again, this is the decision I made.”
