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Bleeding Green Nation
Nick Sirianni confirms Saquon Barkley will “probably” rest in Week 18
Eagles’ RB Saquon Barkley hit 2,000 rushing yards this season, but won’t be back on the field to go for the NFL all-time rushing record.
When asked if Saquon Barkley will be one of the players who is rested against the Giants, Sirianni said, “Yeah, he’ll probably be somebody that rests.”
The head coach went on to explain that having a very early bye week, in Week 5, contributed to the decision, noting that they’re fortunate to be in a position to have a break ahead of the postseason.
Some of the Eagles locker room is probably relieved by the decision, with Lane Johnson mentioning a couple times that it’s better to be safe than sorry, highlighting them losing A.J. Brown last season in Week 18. Still, Johnson and many of Barkley’s teammates also committed to helping the RB hit the all-time NFL rushing record if that was Sirianni’s choice.
Barkley already hit 2,000 rushing yards, set new franchise records for rushing yards and all-purpose yards, and has somehow exceeded even the highest expectations people had of him in his first season in Philly. Resting in Week 18 might keep him from topping the ultimate record, but there was no guarantee he would hit the mark, and his health heading into the playoffs has to be the priority.
Saquon Barkley reacts to the team deciding to not play him in the final game
Sounds like he told Nick Sirianni he wanted to do it, but is OK with the team’s decision to rest the starters: pic.twitter.com/5kYGANKj1E
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) January 1, 2025
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles open Dallas Goedert’s practice window
Goedert was placed on IR with a knee injury in early-December, but was initially designated as week-to-week, so it didn’t appear season-ending. Now he’ll be able to return to the practice field and hopefully work his way back into things before the first round of the playoffs.
Pro Football Talk
Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett both non-participants in Wednesday’s walk-through
The Eagles held a walk-through Wednesday, but quarterback Jalen Hurts did not participate.
The estimated report lists him as out with a concussion and a left finger injury. It’s an indication he remains in concussion protocol.
The Eagles also list backup quarterback Kenny Pickett as out of practice with the injury to his ribs.
With Philadelphia locked into the No. 2 seed, it’s likely third quarterback Tanner McKee plays Sunday against the Giants. Nick Sirianni said earlier in the day that running back Saquon Barkley will be one of a number of starters who sit out the meaningless game.
Blogging the Boys
3 questions after Cowboys’ loss to Eagles
Which QB should start in Week 18?
There’s something about facing the Eagles that turns Cooper Rush from a feel-good story into a sorry sight to behold. Once Philly adjusted following some decent early drives, and even they included a terrible decision that led to a pick-six, Rush stopped looking even remotely capable as a passer. We finally got to see Trey Lance, albeit for just one paltry drive at the end.
This Sunday’s regular-season finale has Dallas hosting the playoff-bound Washington Commanders. Dan Quinn has already declared that his team will be playing to win, wanting to preserve the sixth seed in the tournament. So the question for the Cowboys is whether they will match that effort the best they can or use this last game to evaluate talent.
One could argue that starting Lance this week isn’t throwing in the towel. While Rush did beat Washington earlier this year, that was with CeeDee Lamb still in the offense. Now without any game-changers in the passing attack, one thing that could give Dallas an edge is Lance’s athleticism and the ability to punish the Commanders’ generally aggressive defense.
Given how they’ve handled him the last two years, it’s pretty clear at this point that the Cowboys don’t believe in Lance as an asset now or in the future. But given what Rush put on display last week, Lance probably has the best chance of playing this week that he’s ever had with Dallas.
Big Blue View
Could the Giants trade for J.J. McCarthy?
Adam Schefter believes the Vikings might consider a trade
[A]fter beating the Indianapolis Colts, they find themselves sitting at fourth overall in a draft which might only have two viable quarterback prospects. If the Giants want to draft either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, they will likely have to strike a deal with the New England Patriots. They would not only have to jump the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, they’d have to out-bid the Las Vegas Raiders and whoever else wants the first pick in the draft.
But is there another option?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was recently asked about the possibility that the Vikings could trade 2024 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy, a player the Giants passed on at No. 6 in the draft.
And while Schefter added the caveat that the Vikings could have no interest trading McCarthy, there will be (or is) interest in him around the NFL.
“In a limited quarterback draft class, where there are far more teams that need quarterbacks than there are quarterbacks who can actually step in right away, I… definitely think teams will be checking in with the Vikings to see if they have any interest in trading J.J. McCarthy,” Schefter said.
“J.J. McCarthy would have been a top, if not the top, quarterback prospect in this draft.”
“JJ McCarthy would’ve been a top if not THE top QB in this draft.”@AdamSchefter says teams will be calling the @Vikings to inquire about their rookie QB this offseason pic.twitter.com/ccgautztGb
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 1, 2025
Big Blue View
Are Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen still a pair? ‘Ask John,’ says Daboll
We will know the answer next week
Are Schoen and Daboll a package deal? Can ownership separate a coach and GM who were brought in from the same place during the same hiring cycle?
Don’t ask Daboll.
“You’d have to ask John (Mara),” is all Daboll would say when he was asked about that on Thursday.
Recent reports have indicated that ownership is evaluating each separately and feels it could split them up if necessary.
Mike Kafka’s future
After two seasons of letting offensive coordinator Mike Kafka call plays, Daboll took that responsibility over himself this season. Kafka was given the title of assistant head coach, but was relegated to a supporting role where it is unclear from the outside exactly what his responsibilities are.
The Giants are 3-13 and 31st in the league in offense. So, how has that worked out?
“We’ve won three games, so not good enough,” Daboll said.
NFL league links
Articles
Sean McVay says Matt Stafford will be among the Rams starters who sit this weekend. Jimmy G will get the call.
If LA loses, they could slide to the 4-seed and change the Commanders’ destination in the opening round.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) January 1, 2025
ESPN
NFL playoffs lookahead: Predictions, sleeper wild-card teams
The Chiefs and Lions, as the top seeds of their respective conferences, will both be one-and-done
This has happened before! In the 2010 playoffs, the top-seeded Falcons and Patriots both lost, and each fell to a No. 6 seed (at the time the worst seed of the playoffs). The Aaron Rodgers-led Packers trounced Atlanta 48-21 en route to an eventual Super Bowl victory, while the Rex Ryan defense of the Jets knocked league MVP Tom Brady and the outrageously good 14-2 Patriots out of the postseason, winning 28-21. (It also happened in 1979, but I’m not going to pretend I know a lot about those games.)
I don’t think the Chiefs and Lions are any stronger or weaker than usual top seeds. Of course, both are imperfect teams: We know the Chiefs struggle for explosive plays, and we know the Lions are very banged up on defense. But it’s not any particular weakness in either team. It’s just that the wild-card fields are extremely good this season.
How would ESPN BET set the line for a 6-seed Packers team in Detroit on divisional weekend? I’d guess Detroit would be only about a 3-point favorite, since that was the line when these two teams met in Detroit earlier this December, and the Lions are about as hurt now as they were then. What about the 5-seed Vikings? Detroit is less than a field goal favorite Sunday against the Vikings in their home barn.
While the AFC field of the Chargers, Steelers and (probably) Broncos looks less intimidating, and while I shared my belief that the Chiefs are turning a corner as of last week, it’s still indisputable that the Broncos or Chargers could beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. After all, it took a field goal block and a banked-in last-second field goal to beat those respective teams at Arrowhead this season.
Discussion topics
Front Office Sports
Can Pat McAfee Get An NFL Head Coach Fired?
Colts coach Shane Steichen found himself answering McAfee’s criticisms after a humiliating Week 17 loss to the Giants.
Earlier this year, Pat McAfee picked a fight with previously untouchable ESPN executive Norby Williamson. Two months later, Williamson was gone.
It was a sign that McAfee wields real power within the walls of ESPN, where he isn’t even an employee. (The network licenses his eponymous daily show and has a separate deal for his College GameDay appearances.) Now, he’s seeing just how far his word goes.
Can Pat McAfee, ESPN host and two-time Pro Bowl punter, get an NFL head coach fired?
McAfee would probably argue that if it goes down that way, Colts head coach Shane Steichen got himself fired. And after an embarrassing blowout loss Sunday to a Giants team that had been in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 pick, he’d probably be right. But McAfee has waged an unusually personal and intense campaign against Colts leadership that has brightened the spotlight on Steichen and forced him to respond directly.
McAfee has long positioned himself as a fan of the only NFL team he played for, and is a regular in a luxury box there. But the Indianapolis resident said he won’t renew his season tickets to watch the current Colts team.
In a 557-word Twitter post—longer than this article to this point—McAfee tore into the Colts. While he did not directly call for the heads of Steichen and GM Chris Ballard, he left little doubt about what he thinks owner Jim Irsay should do.
“A blind person could see the red flags on this team,” he wrote. “Work ethic questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Preparation commitment questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to meetings, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to/skipping treatment, NEVER happens on good teams.. The franchise QB tapped out of a game.. on 3rd down.. in the red zone.. because he was tired… NEVER HAPPENED in the history of the NFL.” (McAfee was referring to second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson subbing himself out of a game in October.)
McAfee’s claims went a bit further than timeliness, saying the Colts had “a loser attitude radiating” and that “I’ve never seen a group waste opportunities/talent/money more than this group.” Without mentioning Steichen or Ballard by name, he implied he’d be happy to see both leave.
“The players/coaches in that building deserve whatever happens to them,” he wrote. “Your unwarranted arrogance, laziness, and lack of professionalism has [led] you to ANOTHER early vacation… which is probably what most of you entitled bums have been hoping for.”