Eagles Blow Chance at #2 Seed, But Could Regain #2 Benefits Saturday Night; Host 49ers Sunday at 4:30 PM

When Nick Sirianni decided to rest his starters earlier in the week, he knew the risk. He also knew there was a path where outside help could open the door to the NFC’s #2 seed. That help came when the Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears in Chicago on a last-second field goal.

All the Eagles had to do was take care of business. They didn’t.

Instead, Philadelphia lost shortly afterward to the hapless Washington Commanders, led by journeyman 39-year-old third-string quarterback Josh Johnson.

Johnson, who has played for nearly every football franchise imaginable, save perhaps a flag team of Catholic nuns, somehow guided Washington to 24 points. Many were gift-wrapped by atrocious Eagles defense, highlighted by a nightmare performance from Kelee Ringo.

This game was brutal and it felt like a preseason game from the first kickoff to the final whistle. The Eagles, led by backup quarterback Tanner McKee, simply couldn’t score enough to lock up the #2 seed, despite Detroit doing them every possible favor.

Despite the Loss, We Reinforced a Few Things

1. Kevin Patulo is an absolutely clueless offensive coordinator. Throwing the football 40 times with a backup quarterback is inexcusable. I literally could have found a CYO coach 2 hours prior to kickoff and they could have called a better game. Patulo called the game as if Tanner McKee were Dan Marino.

Maybe the Eagles wanted tape to boost McKee’s trade value in a weak quarterback draft class for the upcoming offseason. Fair, but he likely would’ve looked a lot better if Kevin Patulo had called something closer to a 50/50 run-pass split, instead of asking a backup quarterback to throw it 40 times.

2. Tanner McKee is a solid backup. He’s a capable reserve behind Jalen Hurts, but the gap is enormous. For everyone who wanted to see Tanner McKee get a real look, sorry to break it to you, but without Jalen Hurts’ mobility behind an average offensive line, this season would’ve unraveled fast.

Photo Credit: Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire

I expected Tanner to show enough growth for the Eagles to explore flipping him for a second-round pick this offseason, but that no longer seems realistic. In McKee's defense, he did play with mostly backups today, but the offensive line wasn't that much worse than what we have seen most of the season. Tanner missed alot of easy passes, threw a horrendous INT, and in some circumstances didn't even keep the ball in play.

3. Kelee Ringo should not see the field again. I don’t care who’s injured, put an athletic linebacker on a wide receiver if you have to. Ringo’s snaps against a 39-year-old third-string quarterback were among the worst you’ll see at this level. He had at least 1 defensive pass interference, and then this play was downright embarrassing:

There Were Some Bright Spots

The team got some much-needed rest. With nearly 10 weeks having passed since the bye, it’s been clear the offensive line has played below standard for much of the season. That unit finally got the reset it desperately needed, and Nick Sirianni has earned the right to make whatever decisions he believes best position the Philadelphia Eagles for another Super Bowl run.

DeVonta Smith played early, caught three passes for 52 yards, and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season.

Despite Patulo’s refusal to balance the offense with more runs, Tank Bigsby still finished with 16 carries for 75 yards and added a 31-yard reception, eclipsing 100 yards of total offense. Make no mistake- there’s no reason Bigsby shouldn’t see 5–7 touches per game in the playoffs.

What Comes Next

The Eagles now turn to the San Francisco 49ers, a banged-up group that managed just three points at home in the biggest game of its season last week. And believe it or not, Philadelphia could be playing for another home Divisional Round game by the time it kicks off Sunday at 4:30 PM.

How? The Green Bay Packers are road favorites in Chicago, and if they win Saturday, the Eagles will have home-field advantage- unless the path sends them to Seattle for the NFC Championship game. The Packers are 1.5 point favorites in Chicago, and the Eagles are 3.5 point favorites in Philly.

Maybe Nick Sirianni knew exactly what he was doing after all.