There are two teams in the NFC playoffs locked into its seed so far, which opens the option of the New York Giants resting players against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in NFL Week 18. In fact, Giants running back Saquon Barkley said Wednesday he plans to play, but those who cover the team seem to think we are more likely to see the Giants resting players.
“I’m playing,” Barkley said, according to the New York Daily News. “… Unless Dabes (coach Brian Daboll) tells me differently, I’m playing.”
In the report, writer Pat Leonard does add, “Disclaimer: Brian Daboll might tell him differently.”
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The Giants (9-6-1) are locked into the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs and will play the No. 3 seed, which could be the Minnesota Vikings or San Francisco 49ers. Heading into Week 18, the Eagles are No. 1, the 49ers are No. 2, the Vikings are No. 3 and the Dallas Cowboys are No. 5. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have clinched the NFC South, will be the No. 4 seed.
“We’ll go out there and try to have a good week of practice, prepare like we normally do and decide what we want to do relative to who’s playing, who’s not playing,” Daboll told the Giants website on Monday. “Whatever we think is best for our team, that’s what we’ll end up doing.”
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The game against the Giants has huge meaning for the Eagles, who for the third week in a row would clinch the NFC East with a win and the No. 1 seed in the NFC. That is probably why they are 14.5-point favorites (BetMGM), with what they have on the line and the likelihood of the Giants resting players.
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Philadelphia (13-3) has failed to clinch the division and top seed the past two weeks, losing to the Cowboys and New Orleans Saints with Gardner Minshew at quarterback in place of injured Jalen Hurts (shoulder). It is possible Hurts returns to play Sunday, with reports saying he is practicing this week.
If the Eagles lose to the Giants, and the Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders, Dallas (12-4) would win the NFC East and be in position for the top seed if San Francisco (12-4) loses to the Arizona Cardinals.
The Commanders and Cardinals have been eliminated from playoff contention and each will be starting a third-string quarterback on Sunday in the 4 p.m. window: Sam Howell for the Commanders and David Blough for the Cardinals.
Minnesota (12-4) plays at the Chicago Bears at 1 p.m. The Bears will have Nathan Peterman as its starting quarterback with Justin Fields injured (hip).
It is not possible for the Eagles and Giants to play again next week in the NFC Wild Card round. New York’s opponent would be either San Francisco or Minnesota, with the NFC East winner unable to fall lower than the No. 2 seed.
The Giants’ unofficial depth chart, released Tuesday, lists Barkley as the starting running back, and Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback, per usual.
“If you do one thing and it doesn’t work, you do the other thing and something happens, you’re wrong no matter what,” Daboll said of the Giants resting players. “You’ve just got to make a good decision based on information and the things you talk about with the people on your staff and make the decision that you think if right for your team. So, if you go out there and lay an egg (in the playoffs), it’s the wrong decision. If you win, it’s the right decision. So, that doesn’t affect it either way.”
The Giants were +230 to make the playoffs, 11th in the NFC, before the season began, their first with Daboll as head coach. They had not made the playoffs since 2016, which was their only appearance since 2011.
New York was +6600 to win the NFC, and +15000 to win the 2023 Super Bowl, prior to the season. It is +2800 to win the NFC and +4800 to win the Super Bowl as of Wednesday, per FanDuel.
