It's NFL playoff season and I first want to conjure up a sports moment that many of you will remember. It came in 2002 from then New York Jets coach Herm Edwards, who at a mid-week press conference, after a seemingly innocent question set him off. Testifying like a southern Baptist minister, Edwards answered, "You play to win the game! Hello? You play to win the game!" As he uttered those words, Edwards looked like he might jump from behind the lectern and attack someone.
Anyway, I thought about that moment after Eagles coach Nick Sirianni decided not to win the game on Sunday. There are legitimate reasons to rest your players because of the threat of injury or overuse, but Sunday's regular season ending game against the sad sack Washington Commanders, who were being quarterbacked by a 39-year-old third-stringer, did not qualify in my opinion.
Here was the situation: the Eagles were already in the playoffs, but could move up to the #2 seed instead of the #3 seed if they beat the Commanders and the Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears. Getting the #2 seed means that you are guaranteed at least two home games on a presumed path to the Super Bowl and, trust me, home field is a big, big deal, particularly for the Eagles, who depend upon their enthusiastic fanbase. Er go, I found it astounding that Sirianni elected to rest most of his starters, thereby taking the risk he would miss out on the second seed.
And I'm on record of saying that before the events of Sunday afternoon. First, I thought the Lions would beat the Bears; they're tough, they're gritty, it's an ancient rivalry. The Bears are just not that good. Second, I had no confidence that a back-up Eagles defense could beat anybody. Their defense is mediocre when it is not populated by the starters. Third, no matter what the situation seeding wise was, the Eagles' first-string offense needed reps. The first-string offense will now go into Sunday's playoff game against the 49ers with their last regular season showing being 16 total yards in the second half against the Buffalo Bills.
Anyway, Eagles vs. 49ers. The game is set for Sunday afternoon, 4:30 at the Linc in Philly. The 49ers are only the six seed, but their record of 12-5 in the brutally tough NFC West is one game better than the Eagles. After a shaky start, the Niners won six of their last seven, before losing to the Seahawks, perhaps the NFC's best team. During the six-game winning streak, the Niners scored 41, 20, 26, 37, 46, and 42 points, an average of 29 points per game. Over the same period, the Eagles had two games when they scored 31 and 29, and three games when they scored 19, 15, and 13.
The Niners, in my opinion, are a little better than the Eagles. Not their defense, certainly, but their offense. Their offensive line was injured but is now healthy; something that can't be said for the Eagles. Christian McCaffrey, whose dad Ed, by the way, was an immortal athlete at Allentown Central Catholic, is more than a match for Saquon Barkley at running back. Brock Purdy is at least as good as Jalen Hurts at quarterback. Tight end George Kittle is more than a match for either of the Birds' top receivers, AJ Brown or Devonta Smith. And their coach Kyle Shanahan is better and more experienced than Sirianni.
So, if I were a betting man, I'd take the 49ers. I hope I'm wrong. But I feel the bad karma for losing that final Washington game will be a factor. At least on Sunday, the defending Super Bowl champions will "play to win the game!" Maybe that will make the difference.
