Of course, a pandemic football season would meet a weird culmination, where a 7-9 team made the playoffs after its opponent stopped being competitive in the fourth quarter.
The final game of the regular season saw a playoff berth on the line for one team. The Washington Football Team simply needed to win against the Philadelphia Eagles to clinch the NFC East title and punch their ticket to the playoffs. If they lost, the New York Giants would’ve made it.
Ironically, the Giants had to root for their bitter division rival Eagles to help them into the playoffs. The Eagles were already eliminated from playoff contention and had no real incentive to win—a loss only meant a higher draft pick for them.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles stopped trying to win. Down by only 3 points, quarterback Jalen Hurts was benched in favor of Nate Sudfeld. Head coach Doug Pederson’s baffling decision essentially turned a competitive game into a practice scrimmage evaluating the third-string quarterback.
Though Hurts struggled to complete passes, he’s a mobile quarterback who threatened to catch the Washington defense off guard anytime with an explosive play. When Sudfeld came in, it was evident that he was no better than the dynamic Hurts.
It really was not a good look for the Eagles deciding to tank in the fourth quarter of a game they still had a legitimate chance of winning, but not trying to win was a business decision. Good for them that they now have the 6th overall pick in the draft.
Giants fans hate the Eagles even more now, but ultimately, it was never Philly’s business to nudge the Giants into the playoffs. Eagles players were confused and frustrated at Hurts’s benching—they wanted to win—but the Eagles organization was looking out for itself.
Take no credit away from the Washington Football Team. Theirs was a season of overcoming. They started 1-5, but clawed their way to a 7-9 record to finish strong. Head coach Ron Rivera completed cancer treatment in the middle of the season.
Quarterback Alex Smith has made a triumphant comeback from a two-year journey rehabbing a life-threatening leg injury, going 5-1 on games that he started this season.
Rookie phenom defensive end Chase Young stepped up as a leader in Washington’s young defensive front. He was named a team captain in December.
The Washington Football Team will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round.
Jan's Sports Blog 