In the final week of an NFL season, it's hard not to be tempted to look at the scoreboard and try to figure out what is going on everywhere in the league.
That might be important for the Philadelphia Eagles to do, especially in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders, as other results in the NFL are important to them. If the Eagles win and the Chicago Bears lose to the Detroit Lions, the Birds could get the number two seed in the NFC. If the Bears win, they get the number two seed, and the Eagles stay at number three for the playoffs.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was asked whether he would be watching the Bears-Lions game on the scoreboard and whether that would affect his game management. Sirianni didn't lie when he said there is a good chance he will be doing it often.
"I'm sure we will," Sirianni said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "We are still discussing through some of that. I mean, they put it on the scoreboard, and I'm looking at the scoreboard quite a bit just to rewatch plays or stuff like that, so you see it. We'll see how that goes as the game goes on."
Nick Sirianni and the Eagles will track the Bears-Lions game
Sirianni decided to rest the starters for the Week 18 showdown against the Commanders to protect them from injury, as he has done four times in the last five years as head coach. He wanted to use the week as a bye week for the starters and give them the rest needed before the Wild Card.
It doesn't mean the Eagles aren't gunning for the win, as it would be beneficial for Philly to have the number-two seed. That would guarantee the Eagles would host at least two playoff games if they win in the Wild Card and also guarantee that they would face the seventh seed Green Bay Packers, a team they beat in November 10-7.
This is also an excellent opportunity for the Eagles to see whether any of the backups will be future starters on the team. Backup quarterback Tanner McKee could be used as trade bait in the offseason for a higher pick if he plays well once again.
Read more: Eagles' final Week 18 injury report shows final verdict of seven players
The Eagles would love to win, so they will no doubt be checking in on the Bears game often, but most importantly, they want to make sure they stay healthy and adequately prepare for the playoffs.