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The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a blowout loss to the rival Dallas Cowboys this past weekend, losing by a final score of 51-26. However, the final score doesn't tell the whole story, as each team took a different approach to whether they played or rested their starters.
So, let's take a look at some Eagles Week 18 takeaways from their loss to the Cowboys as they head into the playoffs.
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Philadelphia Eagles Week 18 Takeaways
3. This loss doesn't really matter
Don't look at this game and fear that the Eagles' playoffs prospects are in trouble because they got obliterated in such convincing fashion by a quality team, and a bitter rival to boot. Regardless of the outcome, from the moment that the inactive lists were announced shortly prior to kickoff, this game didn't really say anything at all about what kind of team Philadelphia has going into the playoffs.
The Cowboys chose to play virtually all of their starters, with both quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott playing the first three quarters. Philly, meanwhile, rested almost all of its starters with the exception of Jason Kelce and DeVonta Smith.
Kelce barely even counts, as he only played one snap and that was just so that he could keep his consecutive games started streak alive. (With this one snap, he improved that streak to 122 games — the longest streak by an active NFL center.)
Smith, meanwhile, was on the field for just 14 of the team's 74 offensive snaps. With Smith being on the field for just 19% of Philly's offensive plays, he didn't have too many opportunities to make a significant impact on the game.
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2. The Eagles need to improve their receiving corps this offseason
The aforementioned DeVonta Smith was not really on the field long enough to impact his team's chances to win the game. In his 14 snaps, he caught three of his four targets for 41 yards, but he was unable to find the end zone. Quez Watkins played well, with five receptions on seven targets for 84 yards and a touchdown, and Tyree Jackson also found pay dirt, catching three of his five targets for 22 yards.
Jalen Reagor, however, was only targeted three times, and he was on the field for 93% of Philadelphia's offensive snaps (69-of-74). He caught two of the three passes thrown to him for 19 yards and no touchdowns. While we must remember that he was playing with the backup quarterback, this is simply not good enough for a first-round pick playing the majority of the game, where he should have been able to separate himself and show what he's capable of. Reagor needed to excel, and he didn't.
It may be time for Philadelphia to look for another receiver to complement Smith. Watkins is a keeper, but he may be high-quality depth rather than a starter. Philadelphia badly needs an outside receiver and should look to the upcoming draft to find one. They'll likely be picking too late for Ohio State's Garrett Wilson, but depending on how they do in the playoffs and where they ultimately pick, any of Chris Olave (also from Ohio State) Treylon Burks from Arkansas or Jameson Williams from Alabama could be available. If any of these three are still on the board, Philly should be sprinting up to the podium with the card filled out.
1. Nick Sirianni has proven himself
Nick Sirianni is the only first-year head coach who led his team to the playoffs. Brandon Staley came close, but his team came up just short of a playoff berth due to a heartbreaking loss to Las Vegas in the final seconds of overtime. Philadelphia was never supposed to be here in the first place at the start of this season, as Jalen Hurts was still a massive unknown and this Eagles team had more question marks than answers.
However, Sirianni was able to guide his team to a winning record and a playoff berth. Not only that, but they were securely in the playoffs to the point where they could afford to rest their starters during the last week of the regular season. Philly is playing against Tampa Bay on Wild Card Weekend, and regardless of what happens in that matchup, Nick Sirianni has proven this season that he deserves at least another year in Philadelphia.
