Gardner Minshew takes over for the injured Jalen Hurts at quarterback because the Philadelphia Eagles try to safe the No. 1 seed within the NFC on a busy Christmas weekend in Week 16 of the NFL season.
The NFL will play 11 video games Saturday, together with an evening recreation in Pittsburgh because the Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception.” That may come after the Eagles go to the Dallas Cowboys in a late-afternoon recreation in Arlington, Tex.
Minshew, the previous starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars who achieved one thing resembling folk-hero standing in his extra productive moments, will get the beginning nod for the Eagles. Hurts, a high contender for the league MVP award, is sidelined with a sprained proper shoulder he suffered whereas being tackled on the finish of a run throughout Sunday’s triumph at Chicago.
The Eagles are on a five-game profitable streak and have a league-best file of 13-1. With three regular-season video games remaining, they lead the second-place Cowboys by three video games within the NFC East. They’re two video games in entrance of the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC’s high seed, which might carry the convention’s lone opening-round postseason bye and home-field benefit all through the NFC playoffs. The Eagles want just one extra victory to safe that.
So this recreation means every thing, in some methods — but additionally subsequent to nothing, in different methods. The Eagles nearly actually will safe the highest seed, even when it doesn’t occur Saturday. The Cowboys have already got clinched a playoff spot however have little hope of overtaking the Eagles within the division race. They might be nicely served to return to the next degree of play earlier than the postseason, nonetheless. Of their previous two video games, they narrowly beat the one-win Houston Texans, then misplaced in time beyond regulation to the Jaguars.
Climate could possibly be a difficulty in lots of cities Saturday, given the wintry situations overtaking many elements of the nation. Many video games have playoff implications. The NFL scheduled most of this weekend’s video games for Saturday however will play a three-game slate Sunday.