Here's What Nick Sirianni Should Do with His Team vs. Dallas
Nick Sirianni said everybody is ready to go for Saturday’s night regular-season finale against the visiting Dallas Cowboys.
Even the players who weren’t in the building this week, alluding to the dozen players placed on the team’s COVID list on Monday.
Whether any of them will actually play or how long they will play, the Eagles’ coach isn’t saying.
As you would expect. He’s employed the “competitive advantage” line all season when it came time to reveal too much about his gameday personnel. Same thing now.
Sirianni has been consistent in that regard just as he has been consistent about player safety, dating all the way back to training camp when he sometimes held hour-long practices to keep his players fresh and healthy.
The same principle will apply on Saturday.
Sirianni will sit key personnel, but, NFL rosters being NFL rosters, you can’t sit everybody.
Here’s who should sit and who should play in a fairly meaningless Week 18:
QUARTERBACK
Sit
Jalen Hurts. His ankle is still ailing according to Sirianni in his Sunday press conference after the Eagles beat Washington, though Hurts was estimated to be a full participant in Friday’s walkthrough.
Play
Gardner Minshew and Reid Sinnett. Yes, both. Minshew needs to stay healthy, too, for the postseason, just in case. Hurts isn’t injury-prone Carson Wentz who got knocked out of his only playoff start in the first quarter with a concussion, but you never know what can happen in the course of a game. If Hurts gets hurt, Minshew will be needed, so play him a quarter, maybe two, then let’s have a look at Sinnett, who, you may not be aware, wears No. 7.
RUNNING BACKS
Sit
Jordan Howard and Boston Scott. They’re both on the COVID list, anyway. Just let them stay there. Miles Sanders was ruled out on Thursday as he continues his recovery from a broken hand.
Play
Kenny Gainwell and promote Jason Huntley and Kerryon Johnson. Give Gainwell a half then let Huntley and Johnson take it from there.
RECEIVERS
Sit no one. Play them all. Limit DeVonta Smith to a quarter or two, maybe give him a shot at breaking the rookie record for most years receiving set in 2008 by DeSean Jackson in 16 games. He needs 38 and doing it 17 games won’t be the same, but it will still be the record. Get him his 28 and let him sit.
Jalen Reagor and Quez Watkins, who was a full participant in Thursday’s walkthrough, should also get the bulk of targets, but even they should be limited in the second half. Give Greg Ward and J.J. Arega-Whiteside a fair number of targets as the game goes along. Maybe even find a way to get John Hightower out there.
TIGHT ENDS
Sit
Dallas Goedert and Jack Stoll. Both are still on the COVID list and should stay put.
Play
Tyree Jackson and elevate Richard Rodgers and Noah Togiai. This is the perfect game to get Jackson his first NFL catch and then some.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Sit
All the starters except one. Landon Dickerson (thumb) and Lane Johnson (rest/knee) are listed as questionable. Go ahead and rule them out.
Play
The one exception is Jason Kelce. He should be allowed to extend his streak of consecutive games started to 122 then removed after a series, maybe two. For a dramatic flourish, take him out mid-series and let the fans give him a standing ovation. It may be the final home game of what should be a Hall of Fame career.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Sit no one, but really limit the snaps of Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave as well as defensive ends Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat since the team is think there. Give rookie DT Marlon Tuipulotu his first snaps in weeks as well as Hassan Ridgeway. Also, let Ryan Kerrigan, Cameron Malveaux, and Tarron Jackson have a good run on the outside.
LINEBACKERS
Play everyone but with scaled-back reps for starters T.J. Edwards and Alex Singleton. JaCoby Stevens has already been elevated. Let the rookie playFellow rookie Patrick Johnson should also see some extended time.
CORNERBACKS
Sit
Darius Slay and Steven Nelson. The Eagles can ill-afford anything to happen to them.
Play
Heaven knows the Eagles have plenty of depth here, with rookies Zech McPhearson, Tay Gowan, and Kary Vincent. It would be a good challenge to see them, as well as Mac McCain, against some of the weapons the Cowboys have, provided the Cowboys play those weapons. Andre Chachere and Josiah Scott should see snaps in the slot with Avonte Maddox’s snaps cut back to maybe a dozen.
SAFETIES
The Eagles can’t afford to have anything happen to their veterans on the back line – Rodney McLeod and Anthony Harris. It would be nice to give them the night off, but the Eagles aren’t rolling in depth here, so they may have to play a dozen or so snaps.
Has anybody heard from K’Von Wallace lately? This is the game you should. Marcus Epps has developed nicely and it might be good to limit his snaps, but there isn’t much behind him.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
