Nick Foles will play in Eagles final game against Dallas
The Philadelphia Eagles have locked up the number one seed, but will they rest their starters?
As we wrapped up Week 16, the Philadelphia Eagles went out with a bang. They were able to secure the number one seed in the NFC with an ugly 19-10 win over the Oakland Raiders. At this point, the Eagles statistically really have nothing to play for. They have accomplished just about every regular season goal to this point.
So what does head coach Doug Pederson plan to do? Will he be resting the starters this week to avoid any injury before playoffs? Or is there some unfinished business left out on the field? On Monday afternoon, Pederson met with the media to have a brief discussion heading into Week 17.
When he was questioned about resting starters, Pederson made it clear that he is still undecided. But he did make it clear that one thing is for sure, Nick Foles will be playing next week.
Far from ready…
After yet, another tough victory, the Eagles still have some gaps to fill. Last week the team had a long day on the defensive side of the ball. This week the offense couldn’t really move the ball at all for the most part. There could’ve been plenty of factors that played into the offenses’ issues. But let’s make things clear, Foles did not have his best game yesterday.
The veteran backup’s impressive four-touchdown game against the New York Giants is officially old news. This week, Foles was forced to throw the ball 38 times. He finished with 163 yards, one touchdown, and a crucial late-game interception.
Even though his stat sheet sums up a rough night, watching him live was fairly difficult. He held on to the ball too long and at times he would force throws away when he could’ve picked up a yard or two on a scramble. Week 15 was a nice memory of 2013 Foles, but Week 16 was a harsh reality of the guy we are truly dealing with.
Unfinished Business…
As risky as it sounds, the Eagles should play Foles for most of, if not, the entire game against the Dallas Cowboys. More game reps with the starting offense could really benefit him and the rest of the team come playoff time. Similar to Carson Wentz, Foles is having a hard time connecting with Alshon Jeffery early on.
With some more game day experience, Foles and Jeffery can really get on the same page and help each other out. This week’s game means pretty much nothing to both teams, so why not attempt to establish a chemistry between the quarterback and his weapons?
Next: Jeffery was frustrated after Monday’s win against Oakland
Our best guess is that Pederson leaves the offensive starters in the game for at least a half. The outcome of the game will dictate whether he should leave the starters in for longer or not. Week 17 will pretty much be treated like the ‘dress rehearsal’ game in the preseason. If all is going well, get the guys off the field and avoid any injuries. If things still look sloppy, work on getting them fixed before the next game. It will be interesting to see if Foles can bounce back or not this week.