The Eagles NEEDED This First Round Bye.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Eagles got the job done. The Super Bowl will now run through the city of Philadelphia as the Birds clinched the #1 seed in the NFC. And while that is the #1 priority, the added bonus of not having to play Wild Card Weekend might be a “1b”.
The Eagles enter the playoffs banged up. Not that this wasn’t expected, because its the NFL were talking about here, but for a team that was incredibly healthy for the majority of the season its a hurdle they havent had to leap over. Suddenly the Eagles are dealing with injuries to slot corner Avonte Maddox, right tackle Lane Johnson, and most importantly quarterback Jalen Hurts. Those three players are some of the most important players to this team and three guys you want 100% healthy heading into the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Eagles you aren’t getting it.
The Eagles will at least have Hurts and Johnson back for the game. The status of Avonte Maddox is up in the air and there’s a pretty good chance that he wont be available unless you advance deep into the playoffs. What will help the Eagles and their chances is the week off. At this point in the season getting added rest is such an advantage and its one that only two teams get in the NFL. While the Eagles future opponent is playing a hard fought game, the Eagles will be kicking back on the couch watching Netflix.
For Hurts, the rest is incredibly important. Whether it was rust, or dealing with the soldier injury, Hurts didn’t like right in the game against the Giants. For a quarterback who’s mechanics were a big reason for his success its important that he isnt dealing with a shoulder injury and having to overcompensate for pain which will likely result in his mechanics being off. Nick Sirianni talked about the fact that Hurts’ was fighting it a bit as the game went on, and that would seem to pass the eye test. Getting Hurts some added rest will hopefully see Hurts’ return to form.
The coaches also need this break. While a lot will be put on the players because ultimately they are the ones executing the game plan. the game plan itself hasn’t been good for about a month. The fact that Nick Sirianni and his staff don’t have to worry about creating a game plan this week, and can instead comb over film from this season and figure out what worked, and what didn’t, as they watch Wild Card Weekend out of the corner of their eye.
The Eagles reached an unprecedented 14-3 record this season. But to act like the Eagles of December and January were the same as the Eagles we saw in September and October would be ridiculous. The Eagles are the favorite to win the NFC, but that doesnt mean they dont need a break.
