> At a Glance
> – Eagles rested starters in the final regular-season game.
> – They lost 24-17 to the Washington Commanders.
> – The loss moved them to the No. 3 seed, setting up a home playoff against the San Francisco 49ers.
> – Why it matters: The decision to rest key players could cost the team a better playoff position, affecting their chances to advance.
In the final week of the regular season, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni chose to rest most of his starters, a move that left the team vulnerable to a 24-17 defeat by the Washington Commanders. The loss dropped the Eagles to the No. 3 seed in the NFC and set up a playoff home game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Decision to Rest Starters
Sirianni explained that his priority was keeping the squad healthy for the postseason.
Nick Sirianni said:
> ‘No,’
> ‘Again, you go through your process, you make what you think it the best decision for the football team and that’s what we did. I knew this was an outcome, that these things could happen.’
He added that the priority was to enter the playoffs healthy, citing past success.
Nick Sirianni added:
> ‘Like I said to you guys, one thing I could guarantee was giving them rest. I couldn’t guarantee anything else. And us being healthy and going into the playoffs healthy, is a big deal for us.’
Week 18 Game and Result
The Eagles faced the Washington Commanders in a high-stakes matchup, needing a win to secure the No. 2 seed while the Detroit Lions had to beat the Chicago Bears.
- Eagles 17, Commanders 24
- Lions 19, Bears 16
- Eagles become No. 3 seed
Playoff Implications
With the loss, Philadelphia is the third-seeded NFC team and will host the sixth-seeded San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field next week.
- Home playoff against the 49ers
Key Takeaways
- Resting starters led to a 24-17 loss.
- The loss dropped the Eagles to the No. 3 seed.
- The team will host the 49ers in the first playoff round.
The decision to rest key players remains a point of debate, but the Eagles will now focus on preparing for their home game against the 49ers.
