Cowboys Icon Emmitt Smith Rips Eagles As 'Quitters'
What message did the tank-minded Philadelphia Eagles send by their performance on Sunday Night Football against the Washington Football Team?
That "it's okay to quit,'' says three-time Super Bowl champion Emmitt Smith.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Smith suggests that the non-contending Eagles "took a dive'' in order to secure a better draft pick in a way that helped them lose to WFT, allowing Washington to take the NFC East title and a playoff berth.
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Said the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer: "The message that you're sending ... is not the message I grew up with: 'Never quit, always fight to the end and give your best performance every time you step foot on the football field."
The former Dallas Cowboys running back says the Eagles were obliged to "play with honor. You have to play with respect of the game, and you have to do it for yourself."
Smith's logic, in part, is what coach Doug Pederson's moves (alleged to help Philly lose) do to a team.
"Because,'' he says, "you don't want your players to take on a mentality of, 'Oh, are we out of it? The game is over? We may as well just lay down.'"
The Eagles made a serious of questionable decisions that they surely would not have made if going all-out to win was the goal.
"The message was clear," Smith says. "I don't agree with that style of play."
The Eagles ended up losing 20–14, and players are now speaking out in a way that confirms some of Emmitt's concerns. Running back Miles Sanders says no one was in favor of the benching of quarterback Jalen Hurts, and The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that "two defensive players had to be held back from approaching Pederson" after that particular move was made.
"Why are we doing the things that we're doing, is the question," Smith says, "and I think it's a clear reflection of how we are as human beings in society today. We value things that are less valuable, and we give them credit for less value than they deserve."
