A win over Carolina would leave the Birds still one game behind Detroit for the NFC’s top seed, and given the schedules – Buffalo, Chicago, San Fran and Minnesota for the Lions versus Pittsburgh and three division games for the Eagles – the idea seems possible.
Unless you’re Spike Eskin, who thinks the Birds, currently three games up on the third seed with five to play, should concentrate on settling for the two seed and, likely, Round 3 with the Commanders in the Wild Card round.
“I watched Detroit-Green Bay, Detroit wins, and now, for the Eagles to get the one seed, the Lions have to lose twice, Vikings have to lose at least once, and Eagles have to win out – so chances go down considerably,” Spike said to open Friday’s show. “So, the plan is called “Concede the One Seed,” and for the rest of the year, I want the Eagles to act like a grown-up organization and start planning for the playoffs, knowing that they're gonna get the two seed.”
Spike likes to use variants of calling for things to be grown-up (just look at any WFAN staffer’s email over the last few years), but what does this grown-up plan entail?
“I want Saquon’s touches down down a meaningful amount – I don't need him touching it 10 times or anything, but no more 30 times a game with Saquon,” Spike said. “I want to stop playing Jalen Carter every single snap because I want him effective in the playoffs. I wanna start throwing the ball more to see what we've got there, to prepare for the playoffs to see what we can do once the playoffs come.”
So maybe this gives the Birds a lower chance of finishing 15-2, but as long as their final win comes in Super Bowl LIX, so be it.
What does Ike Reese, an actual former NFL player, have to say about that?
“Yeah, if this was Week 16, maybe I would understand that with two games left to go, but with five games left to go and one game behind the No. 1 seed, it’s almost a disservice to yourselves as a team,” Ike said. “Forget about the fan base, it’s as much of a disservice to us to not have the ability to host the NFC Championship Game at home, and you basically have conceded that with five games to go. I can’t buy into that; I think it’s too important, that having the No. 1 seed at home supersedes all that other stuff. Quite frankly, I think that’s the different in who will probably go to the Super Bowl.”
Ike’s not saying the Birds can’t go to Motown and win an NFC Title Game, as he knows first-hand about underdogs coming to Philly and robbing the Eagles in said round, but punting on the chance this early just makes no sense.
“As long as you have the ability to do something about that, you force Detroit to play every game, play their players every game,” Ike said. “The very things that you're afraid that could happen with the Eagles, you're willing to let Detroit off the hook by conceding it. So by you playing and winning every game, you force Detroit to have to keep winning every week, no matter who they play, because they know they don't want to be outside for the NFC Championship Game. They don't wanna lose that. So, I would have to keep the pedal to the metal; we don't start fast and blow teams out, so you don't know how a game is gonna go.”
Listen to the entire debate above!