The Eagles played and lost a meaningless game on Saturday night to Dallas, falling 51-26 in a game where their starters didn't play and the Cowboys' starters did.
The loss dropped their record to 9-8 on the season.
All of the focus now will be on the playoffs and their potential opponent, but for now, here are 10 meaningful takeaways from a meaningless game.
** Starters sit: The Eagles did the right thing and sat their starts on both side of the ball on Saturday night. With a playoff game coming next week it was the correct decision to prioritize health and make sure they had their key players for their Wild Card game. The Eagles have had injury issues over the last few years (to say the least) but have been pretty healthy this year. Injuries are mostly luck, for better or worse, but the Eagles prioritizing health this year — both in the preseason and in their weekly practices — has paid off.
** Backups: When deciding how much to take away from Saturday's game it is important to look back to the preseason. In the preseason the Eagles not only didn't play any of their starters but they also showed almost nothing in terms of scheme or game planning on offense or defense. It looked ugly and there was concern about how it would impact them once the regular season started. They won their first game by 26 points.
With their starters on the sideline Saturday the Eagles once again likely showed almost nothing of value in terms of scheme or game plan on offense or defense. In fact, they likely gave looks they wanted opposing coaches to see. Add in that the Eagles played the game with their backups vs. the Dallas starters and it is hard to have much of anything to take way from Saturday night when it comes to the Eagles changes of winning in the playoffs.
** Backups, Pt 2: That being said, it was impressive how the Eagles backups stuck with the Cowboys starters. The Cowboys were trying to win the game. The Eagles were not. Despite that, the Eagles were competitive, staying within one possession for most of the first half. Things fell apart towards the end of the second quarter, but early on, the Cowboys had to be a little concerned that they were playing close against a team of backups.
** Jason Kelce starts: The Eagles gave center Jason Kelce the start, keeping his streak of 122 regular-season games going. Kelce was on the field for one snap, quickly leaving the game to the safety of the sideline before the second. The Eagles giving Kelce the start and then getting him out was the right decision, and a classy move by organization.
** Opening Drive: The opening drive for the Eagles was on offense, with all of their starters (except for Kelce for one snap) on the sideline. Going up against a Dallas defense with most of their starters on the field, however, the Eagles backups went right down the field for an 11 play, 75-yard touchdown drive. The drive looked pretty easy, but they did face three third downs, converting all of them.
** Kenny Gainwell: Eagles rookie Kenny Gainwell has had an impressive year, but at this point in his development he is much further along as a receiver and pass blocking than he is as a pure runner. The coaches had to be encouraged by what they saw from Gainwell on Saturday night as a runner.
Gainwell looked great on Saturday night, starting so on the opening drive, as he carried the ball five times for 29 yards. He looked confident in the reads he was making and quick once he got the ball, especially on his seven-yard touchdown run in the first half.
Gainwell is going to be the fourth-string running back in the playoff game, assuming Miles Sanders can play, but he is set for a much bigger role next year in the offense. To be productive he is going to have to develop as a runner, however, which is why Saturday night was a positive step forward for the rookie.
** Gardner Minshew: The Eagles started Minshew at quarterback, and for the most part, he played well. The real question is did he increase his trade value. The answer to that is probably stayed the same, but if it had to go one way, it probably went up. The Eagles traded a sixth-round pick for Minshew and there is almost no question they would get more for him now in a trade. Minshew is, at worst, a very serviceable backup. He is at best a starter for a team in a transition year between franchise quarterbacks. Minshew wasn't great on Saturday night but he was serviceable, and in the NFL, that low bar is hard to find in a backup or low-level starter. The Eagles won't be looking to trade Minshew this offseason, but he has been good enough in both his starts this season that they could likely get a decent pick back for him if they decide to trade him.
** DeVonta Smith Rookie Record: Eagles receiver Devonta Smith needed 37 yards on Saturday night to break the Eagles rookie record for receiving yards. He set the record before the first quarter even ended, catching three passes for 41 yards to bring him 916 yards, passing the 912 yards DeSean Jackson had as a rookie in 2008. Of course Smith got an extra game to do it than Jackson did, but the accomplishment is impressive nonetheless, and a sign of just how successful his rookie season has been.
** J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: Arcega-Whiteside actually hasn't had that bad of a year, carving out a roll on special teams that could keep him in the NFL the next few years and making two big catches on third downs this season. His dropped touchdown pass on Saturday, however, was brutal. Arcega-Whiteside had a chance for a pretty easy touchdown in the third quarter after doing a nice job adjusting to an under thrown ball, but let it slip right through his hands. As solid as he has been on special teams this year drops like that are going to make it hard for him to make the Eagles' roster next season.
** Tyree Jackson: The Eagles have high hopes for Tyree Jackson, the former college quarterback who is making the move to tight end. Jackson's first catch of his career was a notable one as it was a three-yard shovel pass to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead on the opening drive. Expect Jackson to have a bigger role in the offense next season, likely as the primary backup to Dallas Goedert and a role player in the passing game. He did leave the game in the fourth quarter with an injury.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
