Is this the end or the beginning of the 2018 Eagles season? Only way to find out is to hang on to what we’ve got until this coming Sunday evening and check the late scores.
The Eagles’ regular-season finale at Washington was moved to a 4:25 PM kickoff. Philadelphia must win to have a chance at earning a Wild Card spot; then Minnesota has to lose at home against Chicago. Minnesota’s game is also in the 4:25 PM time slot, so Eagles fans (and players) will be doing a lot of scoreboard watching.
We may get to see wide receiver Mike Wallace against the Redskins. Not sure if that really matters at this juncture (hard to believe Mike is in any kind of “football shape” right now), but the Eagles activated the wide receiver from Injured Reserve on Monday afternoon. He suffered a fractured fibula in the Week 2 game against Tampa Bay. Wallace was supposed to be our “stretch the coverage” deep threat this season, a role which was never really replaced once he went down in that terrible loss to the Fitz-Magic Bucs.
The Birds also promoted cornerback Josh Hawkins from the practice squad. To make room for Wallace and Hawkins, the team waived cornerbacks De’Vante Bausby and Chandon Sullivan. The 5-10, 189-pound Hawkins was signed to the Eagles’ practice squad on December 11. He was previously on the Panthers’ active roster and played in five games this year, mostly on special teams. A rookie free agent of the Green Bay Packers in 2016 out of East Carolina, Hawkins played in 26 games and started three contests in his first two NFL seasons, recording 43 tackles, seven pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
Add Hawkins to the list of emergency relief helpers called upon to bail out this ramblin’ wreck of a roster in 2018. To that relief mission, Tommy Lawlor in his Christmas column at Iggles Blitz gives thanks for the backup soldiers who contributed to the Eagles’ big win over Houston to help set up this final shot at the playoffs:
“Tre Sullivan had tackles on three consecutive plays. A couple of those were good stops.
Dallas Goedert was 3-30 as a receiver. His biggest contribution was recovering an Ertz fumble. The ball was there among several Texans, but Goedert hustled and got control of it.
LaRoy Reynolds had a pair of STs tackles. It felt like he was in on every coverage play.
DE Daeshon Hall had two tackles, half a sack and also was in on a STs tackle. He brought good energy to the field when he was out there.
TE Richard Rodgers had his first catch as an Eagle. This came on a third down play and moved the chains.
RB Boston Scott had some good KORs. One went for 35 yards.
DT Treyvon Heston was in on a couple of tackles and had a sack.”
There are some names on that list many Eagles fans didn’t realize were on the active roster.
As for the NFC North champion Chicago Bears and relying upon them to beat the Vikings in order to give the Eagles half-a-chance to make the playoffs, at least we know the Bears will be going all out for a W which could cinch them a #2 seed and a first-round bye. However, the team they are chasing (the L.A. Rams) must lose to the struggling 49ers for anything to really matter to the Bears. So the Bears will be watching the Rams-49ers scoreboard, meaning at some point Bears head coach Matt Nagy may call off his dogs against the Vikes if it looks like the Rams are beating the tar out of the 49ers.
Which at some point, even if the Eagles are putting the hay in the barn against the Redskins, could mean we end up SOL…perhaps fitting because luck has been at a premium for the Eagles in 2018.
If for no other reason than this game in Washington may be Nick Foles’ last start ever for the Eagles, I’d love to see the Birds finish the season with a strong outing on offense. We appreciate as diehard fans what Nick means to the history of the franchise. Nothing came easy to Nick. Nothing comes easy to the Eagles. He will always be one of us in spirit.
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