After the Philadelphia Eagles 13-12 win over the Buffalo Bills, the team still has a chance to move up to the number two spot in the NFC Playoff standings.

But Head Coach Nick Sirianni has confirmed this week that the Eagles plan to rest most of their key starters for NFL Week 18. This decision is viewed as controversial among some Philadelphia Sports Fans because of how much the offense struggled in Buffalo and the belief that the team should go all-in for a better spot in the NFC Playoff Bracket.

But the last three times the Eagles have most a postseason run to the Super Bowl, the team rested their starters in the final game of the regular season. Philadelphia’s Head Coach explained his thought process to the media on Friday:

“At the end of the day, it’s not a guarantee that we can get to two seed, but I can rest the starters. Just thought that was the best thing for our football team right there. Feel really good about the guys that are going to go in there and play. Obviously, you can’t rest everybody, and so we’ve had a good week of practice. We’re going in there to try to win the game with some guys that haven’t played a ton of snaps on offense and defense but obviously have contributed. Just felt like that was the best thing for the football team for this week and moving forward.”

NOTE: Eagles need to WIN on Sunday, and the Chicago Bears also need to LOSE against the Detroit Lions.  Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson says his team is treating Sunday’s final regular-season home game as an opportunity “to finish the regular season the right way” after they lost their last game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Which Play Will Not Play In Regular Season Finale Versus The Commanders?

Head Coach Nick Sirianni confirmed on Friday that Quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the starters who will not play this Sunday, and Backup QB Tanner McKee will get the start. The 25-year-old Quarterback started the final game of the 2024 NFL regular season as well.

Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle Jalen Carter (hip), and starting Linebacker Nakobe Dean (hamstring) were among the defensive players who have not practiced this week. The Injury Report says Carter is dealing with a Hip Issue but Nick Sirianni told the media that the two-time Pro Bowl selection is just trying to get back to full strength for the postseason run.

Dean sustained a Hamstring Injury in the Eagles win over the Commanders on December 20th, and it is no surprise that the team is letting him take all the time he needs to recover before returning to practice. Dean is arguably one of Philadelphia’s most important defensive players.

Both Edge Rusher Jaelan Phillips and Safety Marcus Epps were not seen at Friday’s Practice according to multiple media reports. Phillips is dealing with an Ankle Issue, and will not play in the Eagles final regular season game. Head Coach Nick Sirianni confirmed that Epps is still in Concussion Protocol, and the timing of Sunday’s game does not afford him enough time to clear protocol to play the final game of the regular seaon.

Two offensive starters who did not practice this week are Tight End Dallas Goedert, and Right Tackle Lane Johnson. Goedert is dealing with a knee issue but multiple reports state that he should be good to play when the Eagles begin their postseason run next week.

Johnson is still recovering from the Lisfranc sprain he suffered in the November 16th game versus the Lions. The expectation is that he will return to practice next week as part of the Eagles preparations for the NFL Playoffs.

Even though their names are not on the Eagles Injury Report, other starters who are not expected to play this Sunday include:

*Wide Receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith
*Running Back Saquon Barkley
*Offensive Lineman Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens
*Defensive Backs Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Reed Blankenship
*Linebacker Zack Baun
*Defensive Linemen Jordan Davis and Brandon Graham

Washington Commanders Also Sitting Multiple Starters For Sunday’s Game
Backup Quarterback Marcus Mariota will not start in Philadelphia this Sunday as he continues to deal with Hand and Quadriceps Injuries. Third String QB Josh Johnson will face Philadelphia for the second time this season, after he first came in relief for Mariota on December 20th.

Left Tackle Leremy Tunsil will miss his third straight game because of an Oblique Injury. Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn has told the media this week that Washington wants to finish the season “strong”, so they will be playing most of their starting players on Sunday.

No word if he will keep Veterans like Linebacker Bobby Wagner, Wide Receivers Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin, or Defensive Tackle Daron Payne on the field for the entire game. Some NFL teams are only playing their starters until they achieve certain contractual incentives or the veterans get what they want out of the final game of the regular season.

Top Rated Places To Watch Eagles Games in Cape May County

If you are an Eagles fan, you want to cheer on your team with your fellow Philly Sports Fans! So for those who love to sing “Fly Eagles Eagles” and chant E-A-G-L-E-S, here are the best Cape May County Bars and Restaurants where you can watch the games this season. We have gathered data from Google Reviews, Facebook Reviews, and Google Analytics to create this list and rank what are the best places to watch Eagles games in New Jersey’s southernmost county.

Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media