PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Eagles seemingly have nothing to play for but pride on Sunday night, but the head coach has a different perspective.
When the Eagles take on Washington at the Lincoln Financial Field, they will already be eliminated from playoff contention.
They will face a Washington squad which can win the NFC East with a victory.
For some fans, there are suggestions that the Eagles would be better off losing to get a higher draft pick. But Doug Pederson and his players don't see it that way.
"I use the fact that we got another opportunity to go out and showcase our talents and try to put together a four-quarter game and try to win a game," said Pederson. "That's the motivation, and it's a division opponent. That's been our focus. We've game planned, practiced this week that way."
There will be no shortage of motivation for the visitors.
Washington will be looking to capture the NFC East, which would set off a celebration in their locker room. Some Eagles have talked about being motivated by the opportunity to deny Washington a chance to celebrate a division crown.
Pederson isn't worried about Washington's situation.
"We understand for them if they win obviously they're in," Pederson said. "We know those ramifications, too. We've been on that side of it. We understand that. By no means do I use spoilers as motivation for any football game."
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The Eagles will be counting on several young players on Sunday night. The secondary has been decimated by injuries and the team has also placed safety Jalen Mills on the COVID-19 list.
While Pederson made it clear the Eagles will be playing to win with their maximum effort, he added the younger players will have another chance to gain valuable experience.
"You still want to go be competitive," said Pederson. "You still want to try to win the football game. That's without saying, but if these young guys get a chance to play, then yeah, it's an evaluation for them as well moving forward."
A win will give the Eagles a 5-10-1 record. A loss will be an added footnote to a disappointing season.
Regardless of the outcome, the Eagles don't look at their season finale as meaningless.
"This game is important," Pederson said. "The first thing is, yeah, we'd like to win the game. Whoever's on the football field, we play to win the game. That's just what we do.”