December 19, 2020
With the Los Angeles Chargers' win over the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night, the Philadelphia Eagles moved from ninth to eighth in the projected 2021 NFL Draft order. They can potentially move up further in the draft order on Saturday and Sunday, depending on the outcomes of the NFL's slate of games. Yes, the NFL has games on Saturday this weekend and next weekend.
We'll get to that in a minute. But first, the question to be asked is, after their win last Sunday over the Saints, are the Eagles better off winning games and competing for a playoff berth, or are they better off losing the rest of their games, and having the best draft position possible?
Jason Kelce chimed in on that topic this week. As a player with a lot of pride, he unsurprisingly believes that every effort should go into winning games, under any and all circumstances:
Jason Kelce passionately explains why winning takes precedent in the NFL over everything, including evaluating youth in a down season. pic.twitter.com/x9CyzqQ47e
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) December 16, 2020
That's how every player and coach should think, and it's how every fan should want their players to think. But it isn't necessarily the best outcome.
The advantage of winning games down the stretch and somehow winning the division is that the Eagles would get an extended look at Jalen Hurts, and maybe getting him some playoff exposure in the process.
The downside of winning the division is that it could provide some cover for Jeffrey Lurie not to make major changes in the organization, which many believe are necessary, regardless of how the rest of the season plays out. And, of course, a worse draft pick.
The Eagles aren't done. The NFC East-leading Football Team will be without Alex Smith this Sunday against the Seahawks, and possibly longer. That means that Dwayne Haskins will get the start until Smith is able to return, if at all. Meanwhile, after their road trip to Arizona this weekend against an inconsistent Cardinals team, the Eagles face a bad Cowboys team, and then the Football Team Week 17. A visual of the NFC East standings:
| NFC East | Record | GB |
| Football Team | 6-7 | - |
| Giants | 5-8 | 1 |
| Eagles | 4-8-1 | 1.5 |
| Cowboys | 4-9 | 2 |
And an updated look at the NFC East teams' remaining schedules:
| Football Team | Giants | Eagles | Cowboys |
| Seahawks (9-4) | Browns (9-4) | At Cardinals (7-6) | 49ers (5-8) |
| Panthers (4-9) | At Ravens (9-4) | At Cowboys (4-9) | Eagles (4-8-1) |
| At Eagles (4-8-1) | Cowboys (4-9) | Football Team (6-7) | At Giants (5-8) |
| Combined: 17-21-1 (.449) | Combined: 22-17 (.564) | Combined: 17-22 (.436) | Combined: 14-24-1 (.372) |
It's not out of the question that the Eagles - Football Team matchup Week 17 could be for the division.
If you want the Eagles to win the rest of their games and compete for the division, then your rooting interests are rather obvious:
Ideal winners bolded:
First, a visual of the projected draft order, as always, via Tankathon:
Saturday games: Ideal winners bolded:
Sunday games: Ideal winners bolded:
The rest of the games don't matter.
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