From the Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/44ztybwx
PHILADELPHIA — Resting most of their starters doesn’t mean the Eagles are giving up on the No. 2 seed.
The Birds have secured the third playoff slot in the NFC, but with a win against Washington on Sunday combined with a Chicago loss to Detroit — whose kickoff is at the same time as the Eagles’ — they would seize the second seed, guaranteeing two home games at Lincoln Financial Field instead of one if they advance.
Most of the Philly starters are active on the mandated practice reports, but multiple media outlets have stated the Eagles plan to rest quarterback Jalen Hurts and the bulk of the first team against the Commanders (4-12). Coach Nick Sirianni wouldn’t confirm or deny Wednesday.
“Nearing in more on a decision,” he said.
If the reported scenario plays out, this is the first big test for backup QB Tanner McKee.
But he can handle it.
McKee, who turns 26 in April, played into the third quarter against Cincinnati in the preseason — with the Bengals playing most of their starters — and slung the ball around the yard like a natural, making quick decisions while completing 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and delivering two TDs (plus a tush-push rushing score) for a passer rating of 135.3.
In Week 18 last season, the 6-foot-6, 231-pound Stanford alum — who overcame melanoma as a teenager and later committed two years of his life to being a Mormon missionary — made easy work of the New York Giants during his first NFL start of any kind. He threw for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns while finding eight receivers in a 20-13 victory.
Neither of his starts carried any real implications for the Eagles beyond future possibilities, but Sunday will. For everyone who has been clamoring to see McKee when it counts, this is the moment.
Even if the Bears beat the Lions, thus locking up the No. 2 seed, McKee’s performance will matter because there’s something at stake when the game kicks off.
This is big-time for him.
“I think that when you see Tanner, he’s really good about knowing where to go with the football, seeing the defense and being able to deliver things accurately,” Sirianni said. “It’s a great room where those guys feed off each other and learn from each other.
“He’s got Jalen, being able to learn from Jalen, which is a huge deal,” he said. “Any time you’re around a really good quarterback, your game goes up, too. He’s able to sit in that meeting room with Jalen for hours upon hours a day just learning from him. That’s a big deal.”
As a pure passer and decoder of defenses, and judging only from a small sample size, McKee can run the Eagles’ offense better than Hurts. No muss, no fuss, no drama. That’s not a slight against Hurts, a proven winner; their skill sets are just different.
And that judgment isn’t just based on McKee’s two starts and spell appearances. He has looked good in practice and in the preseason.
“You want me to open the doors and let you guys see more?” a guarded Sirianni joked when asked in depth about McKee. “We will see, obviously, what we do this week, but I like his continued development of what he’s done.”
The Commanders stink. Their season cratered when quarterback Jayden Daniels was injured and then injured again. Even more injuries have piled up, including to former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, and Washington is now on its third QB in Josh Johnson after backup Marcus Mariota also went down.
The Eagles (11-5) shouldn’t need their starters to beat this team. They can do two things at once: rest their starters and go after the No. 2 seed.
But whatever happens, first things first — the Eagles need to win in the first round, regardless of the opponent.
A third seed would mean they play either the 49ers or Rams in the playoff opener. A second seed would likely be a matchup against the Packers.
—
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.