Doug Pederson plans to play most of the Eagles starters this Sunday

Although the Philadelphia Eagles have the number one seed, the starters won’t be benched.

The Philadelphia Eagles have nothing more to accomplish at this point of the season. With just one more game left, the number one goal is to make sure everybody stays healthy. This usually results in starters sitting on the sidelines as they watch their depth guys and young player’s take the field for the final game of the season.

Considering the Eagles struggles as of late, Doug Pederson has something else in mind. He announced on Friday morning that he intends on playing most, if not all of his starters during Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. Although he doesn’t have what he called a ‘pitch count’ for the starters, he does want to make sure they stay in tip-top shape for the post-season.

Over the last two weeks, the Eagles have struggled to get out of games with a win over weaker opponents. It seemed like a big accomplishment for the Eagles to win two close games as it came down to wire. But it raised plenty of concern for those watching. Maybe a quarter or two is exactly what the starters need. After all they need to make sure they are ready for playoffs in two weeks.

Is Pederson smart or crazy about this decision?

Unlike the rest of the NFL’s top teams, the Eagles are taking a major risk. But if every starter makes it out un-injured then Pederson has made the best decision for the team. To have players go two weeks without playing in a game could be a recipe for disaster when they finally return. Slow starts and mistakes could be the easiest way to end the Eagles season before they ever got to advance to the next round.

Not to mention, the lousy play from the offense over the last week needs to be cleaned up. This week’s game can help the offense gain some confidence back in themselves and in their quarterback, Nick Foles. Pederson is looking to assure the team that they will be ready for whatever come playoff time.

Next: Eagles are home underdogs versus Cowboys

It is doubtful that the starters will play the entire game, but we are thinking they play for at least the first half. It seems like Pederson will listen to his players and allow them to get as many reps as they feel comfortable with. After all, some of his guys have been very vocal this week about wanting to play to avoid rustiness in a few weeks. This is a risky decision by the Eagles, but it is necessary.