From the moment Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni decided to rest the starters in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders, there were a lot of fans who disagreed with the call. Those doubters' voices got a lot louder after the final results.
The Eagles lost 24-17 to the Commanders, but got help from the Detroit Lions, who beat the Chicago Bears on a last-second field goal, 19-16. An Eagles win would have given them the number-two seed, but instead, they are preparing to play the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round of the NFC playoffs.
After the game, everyone knew the first question for Sirianni had to be whether he regretted resting most of the starters. Of course, Sirianni is sticking with his decision.
"You go through your process, you make what you think is the best decision for the football team, and that’s what we did," Sirianni said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "I knew this was an outcome, that these things could happen. Like I said to you guys, one thing I could guarantee was giving them rest. I couldn’t guarantee anything else. Us being healthy and going into the playoffs healthy is a big deal for us, and that’s served us well in the past. Again, I know there’ll be debate on that, but I have to do what I think’s best for the football team moving forward, and that’s what I did."
Eagles fans aren't going to feel good about this game
Most Eagles fans can understand the thinking behind the move from Sirianni, as they wanted to be at their healthiest going into the playoffs. The starters on the Eagles backed Sirianni's decision publicly, which made a lot of the fan base feel better about it.
That Commanders team that took the field should never have beaten the Eagles, and if the starters had been on the field, Philly would have blown them out. If the Eagles' backups can play the way they did, the starters would have had a field day against a third-string 39-year-old quarterback.
The fan base knows the Green Bay Packers would have been a better Wild Card matchup for the Eagles, and the second seed would have guaranteed them a second home game if they won. Leaving that on the table is a tough pill to swallow.
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For Sirianni's sake, the Eagles better make a run in the playoffs. Otherwise, the noise from Philly will grow louder, and it won't be in Sirianni's favor as head coach.