What do you guys think on this one?

by captainmike011 on Dec 16, 2009 12:41 AM EST

I was just looking at the standings and this thought occured to me...

If the Eagles can win their next two, and Dallas loses to the Saints (or Redskins the following week), the Eagles will clinch the division. This of course renders the week 17 showdown in Dallas meaningless.....or would it be?

If this situation plays out, the Eagles would be the NFC's 3rd seed, because we would hold the tiebreaker on Arizona. But heres the catch. Dallas is going to have to win the season finale to capture the 2nd wild card. If Philly mails in that game because they want to rest players, they would essentially be handing Dallas a ticket to the postseason. Moreover, if Dallas takes the 6th seed......they'd be coming up to Philly the very next week for the opening round of the tournament!

Now of course, the Giants are still going to have a say in this matter, especially because they hold the tiebreaker over Dallas. The Giants still have Washington, Carolina, and a Vikings team that more than likely will have nothing to play for in the finale....which in my opinion is a pretty favorable schedule.

But in the event that the 2nd wild card is on the line for Dallas.....does Philly play it hard even if they themselves have nothing to play for?

Tweet Comment 44 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

As Much As I'd Love To End Dallas Season...

I’d much rather give our walking wounded time 2 rest….Almost Every1 could use a wk off!…Let’s Get our team Healthy because when we are@ full strength+ clicking we can play with anyone…I say rest em then go full bore when it matters most…

by CJ's Eagles on Dec 16, 2009 12:52 AM EST via mobile reply actions

i agree

think about it….dallas will have to play hard week 17 and the first game of the post season, so fatigue should be a factor…plus the game in the playoffs will be at the linc, while we will rest our starters week 17 and fatigue and home field wont be a disadvantage to us.

Ofcourse lets not overlook that if the stars align themselves this way, who knows, perhaps kolb and the backups could still beat dallas

"It's unfortunate that happened. That's no excuse. Absolutely no excuse."

-Andy Reid

by immynimmy on Dec 16, 2009 1:12 AM EST up reply actions

i like our chances without our starters against Dallas

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 11:04 AM EST up reply actions

vs their starters?

Come on, guys.

by BrianS on Dec 16, 2009 11:20 AM EST up reply actions

We did it to Atlanta in 06

When we are hot, we’re generally hot as a team

I’m not saying we’d sit everyone but i dont think we could beat them and still rest the necessary guys

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 11:26 AM EST up reply actions

Good point, and I’d forgotten about that, but I think Dallas is better than that Atlanta team. Also, they seem to be playing ok but losing to good teams rather than “Complete December Meltown Mode” (even if the result is still “Complete December Meltdown”).

by BrianS on Dec 16, 2009 11:53 AM EST up reply actions

very true

Plus i would kind of like to see Vick play full time quarterback for a while

by cnubsbl16 on Dec 17, 2009 2:52 PM EST up reply actions

Even if we don't sit all of our starters in week 17...

We should sit these guys regardless of the scenario:
Sheldon Brown (hamstring)
Jeremy Maclin (foot)
Westbrook (who knows what it might be this time)

About 10 minutes ago, I was pondering my own existence. Then I decided that it didn't matter.

by IronHank on Dec 16, 2009 1:15 AM EST reply actions

No question...

we beat the Cowgirls with our practice team…LOL
(Otherwise I want this concern to be real…)

by samson9 on Dec 16, 2009 6:34 AM EST reply actions

Haha You would ask yourself

What is worst then beating a team 44-6? Beating them with your back up players

"I hate listening to people's dreams. It is like flipping through a stack of photographs. If I'm not in any of them and nobody is having sex, I just don't care. "

by midnitegreen on Dec 16, 2009 11:29 AM EST up reply actions

ehhhh

i dunno, 44-6 is realllyy bad

Eagles.

by #1EaglesFan on Dec 16, 2009 4:01 PM EST up reply actions

beating them 44-6 WITH our backup players

To me the Eagles are like that girlfriend that pisses u off, then u hate her, but the next morning you wake up and remember that thing u love so much about her

by XxBleedGreen5xX on Dec 17, 2009 3:36 PM EST up reply actions

or beating them with Reggie brown at WR...

thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro

by wild_eagle on Dec 17, 2009 5:58 PM EST up reply actions

IT WOULD BE GREAT 2 END THEIR SEASON IN BACK2BACK YEARS

I agree that if we already have the best seed we can get and the division wrapped up then hell yeah let Kolb mop them fools up. But if theres playoff positioning still 2 be determined for us then i think we have 2 play most of the starters.

by goldenbird09 on Dec 16, 2009 8:26 AM EST reply actions

Remember 2000? AJ Feeley led the Eagles to a comeback win vs. Tampa in a meaningless game at the end of the season, and then the Eagles slaughtered the Bucs in the first round of the playoffs the next week.

The difference was that seeding was already determined at that point. If the Eagles can put away Dallas, I think they should. You don’t want to hand a team that already beat you at home a chance to come up.

I loathe that we’ll likely play a division rival in the first round either way.

by BrianS on Dec 16, 2009 9:53 AM EST reply actions

I agree!

You don’t want to hand a team that already beat you at home a chance to come up.
The thought of this scenario makes me sick…..
1) Last game of the season – We rest our starters, and lose to Dallas
2) First game of the playoffs – (For whatever stupid reason it happens) we lose to Dallas
If that scenario played out (and that’s a lot of “IF” there)……
We would be left to suffer through the longest offseason in Eagles history.
In my opinion, if there’s any chance that the Cowgirls can make the playoffs, then the Eagles should bury them!

by Chinaman on Dec 16, 2009 10:36 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, the scenario you describe is pretty much armageddon.

by BrianS on Dec 16, 2009 11:21 AM EST up reply actions

From a purely "F-You Dallas" standpoint

I’d love to see Kolb run w/ the first team all week and then go back to Texas and slaughter the Cowboys while D-Mac dances on the sidelines. Then I would run to the Blogging w/ the Boys site and tell them to suck me.

I bleed green and I piss silver and blue

by oldasquick on Dec 16, 2009 10:29 AM EST reply actions

hahah

i’d be right there with you my man.

Eagles.

by #1EaglesFan on Dec 16, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions

me too, Yeee

i like vick

by dday on Dec 16, 2009 11:16 PM EST up reply actions

Depends on Brett and Minnesota

If they lose one of their next two games (which they shouldn’t, but stranger things have happened) and we win our next two, then when we suit up for the final game of the regular season, the no. 2 seed could potentially be on the line.

Getting the two seed and knocking the Cowboys out of playoff contention? YES PLEASE

by cwel87 on Dec 16, 2009 10:31 AM EST reply actions

Thank you, sir, may I have another...

I agree… It’d be great to have the 2nd seed on the line in Week 17 when we go up against the Cowboys and the Vikings face the desperate Giants. Talk about drama.

My apologies for posting this down below. I didn’t see your comment about it until now.

But to reiterate… eff the 3 or 4 seed… I’m still holding out hope for the first round bye!

The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to have a running back and a wide receiver with 500 yards apiece in the same season before their 22nd birthdays.

by Smitty2K3 on Dec 16, 2009 4:14 PM EST up reply actions

I gotta say

I dont really like the idea of playing the Giants or the Cowboys in the wildcard. I’d rather play the Packers or Cards. I just hate playing an NFC opponent three times in a season… especially the Giants who we would be trying to beat three straight times.

Question: If we win sunday and Dallas loses are we in the playoffs for sure at that point?

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 11:06 AM EST reply actions

in addition to that

I dont really like the idea of playing dallas two weeks in a row either

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 11:06 AM EST up reply actions

That’s the only reason I’d prefer the Giants. Either way, it’s the third time we’ve played a team. I guess I’d rather it not be the same team they just played the week before, which has that “extra” level of familiarity.

I guess the bottom line for me is only rest the starters if the game’s meaningless for both teams re: playoff eligibility and seeding. If there’s a chance to knock ’em out, take it.

NFC East games, especially vs. the Cowboys, so often come down to some weird freak ending — and despite 44-6, they’ve had some success at the Linc in the last 3 years.

I’m more confident vs. the Giants…I think the Eagles took their best punch this Sunday and still found a way to win, vs. Dallas that has beaten the birds at home this year.

by BrianS on Dec 16, 2009 11:27 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah December/January games aside

Dallas is 2-1 out of the last 3 years at the linc

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 11:29 AM EST up reply actions

Dallas Loss

Haha actually you have it backwards. If we win and Dallas WINS we are in the playoffs for sure, and if by chance,you meant the Giants, yes we are in for sure with a Giants loss

by djubirds on Dec 16, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions

im confused...

and i havent looked at it but how are we in with a win and a dallas win?

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 12:35 PM EST up reply actions

Eliminates the Giants, giving us at least the Wild Card.

by BrianS on Dec 16, 2009 1:31 PM EST up reply actions

oh ok

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions

That said…I’m rooting for New Orleans, since I’d prefer Dallas to be left out in the cold, even if it means the Eagles have to wait an extra week to officially clinch.

by BrianS on Dec 16, 2009 3:12 PM EST up reply actions

Tiebreaker

Actually I had another thread on it, but what it actually does it safeguards the Eagles against a losing 3 team (10-6 tiebreaker). If Dallas wins, to get to 10-6 (with us) they would have to lose to Washington and be 3-3 in the division, below PHI and NYG 4-2. I just think its a very cool scenario there in.

by djubirds on Dec 16, 2009 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

TWO SEED?

The way I understand it, beating out Minnesota for the 2 seed is very far fetched, but I think it’s possible. Correct me if I’m wrong, but if Minnesota loses 2 of their last 3 games and we win out then we’d be tied at 12-4 and would hold the tiebreaker with a better conference record.

Minnesota travels to Carolina and Chicago these next two weeks, which are very winnable games for them, but also loseable if Favre falls back into his old sling-it style. If they lose one of those games, then they’ll have to play a desperate Giants team in Week 17 and need to win to clinch the first round bye (if we win against SF and DEN).

The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to have a running back and a wide receiver with 500 yards apiece in the same season before their 22nd birthdays.

by Smitty2K3 on Dec 16, 2009 12:11 PM EST reply actions

Now if the Vikings win these next two games and we have the 3 seed clinched, then I’d prefer to sit some of the guys who are banged up like Westbrook, Sheldon, Maclin, Akeem, etc. I’d rather have the guys healthy against whoever it is we’re going to have to play rather than risk injury.

Like someone mentioned above, if we’re healthy and clicking, we can play right along with anybody in the league so I don’t care who it is we play.

The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to have a running back and a wide receiver with 500 yards apiece in the same season before their 22nd birthdays.

by Smitty2K3 on Dec 16, 2009 12:14 PM EST up reply actions

Westbrook?

I’m not sure why we’d even play him if he was healthy. Call it heresy, but Shady is having a much better year anyway

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 12:37 PM EST reply actions

Westbrook basically didn’t play this season, which makes it hard to look good. I actually thought he had it going in the Washington game before he got concussed.

by zfg on Dec 16, 2009 4:08 PM EST up reply actions

concussed.

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 17, 2009 8:58 AM EST up reply actions

an eagles against dallas matchup is never meaningless

i dont care if were 0-16 we gotta beat the cowgirls

by rainvillefromottawa on Dec 16, 2009 1:25 PM EST reply actions

not to be that guy

but it would impossible for us to play the Cowboys with an 0-16 record

Dont Disrespect the Level

by 700 Level on Dec 16, 2009 1:42 PM EST up reply actions

HAHA

Nice one :)

Wishlist:
[Desean Jackson] -for- [1,000 Receiving Yards] -currently- [947]
[Asante Samuel] -for- [9 Interceptions] -currently- [7]
[Trent Cole] -for- [12.5 Sacks] -currently- [9.5]
[Michael Vick] -for- [4 Rushing Touchdowns] -currently- [2]

by D-JAX! on Dec 16, 2009 3:28 PM EST up reply actions

FLASH

In 20 We Trust

by Lyons81 on Dec 16, 2009 2:02 PM EST reply actions

I say we put them down week 17...

thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro

by wild_eagle on Dec 16, 2009 3:44 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

The 3 seed

I don’t expect resting our starters to be an issue, because I fully expect to be playing for the 3 seed in week 17. Arizona has an easy remaining schedule, and we’ll need to do well to stay ahead of them.

by AZ Eagle on Dec 17, 2009 12:59 PM EST reply actions

I'm torn

I’m with you guys on not really wanting to see a division opponent for a third time, but I’m totally in the camp of if we’re clinched by Week 17, you gotta sit anybody that’s borderline or halfway questionable.

If we could play Dallas hard with most of our starters and either Kolb or Vick or both, I’d take our chances.

But if we had the chance to knock them out, and the coaching staff decided to go for the kill shot, I’d back that too. I mean, you’re competing to be the last team standing, so knocking out a team that’s beaten you once already helps accomplish that goal.

Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring It Home For Jerome

by D3Keith on Dec 17, 2009 9:53 PM EST reply actions