Philadelphia Eagles: What to Watch in Season Finale

The Philadelphia Eagles will look to end their 2016 regular season on a winning note on Sunday against N.F.C. East rivals, Dallas.

Doug Pederson‘s group defeated the New York Giants last Thursday 24-19 to move to 6-9 on the year. The win also snapped a five-game losing streak for the Birds.
Dallas, who are 13-2, have already clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage for the N.F.C. Playoffs.

Jason Garrett‘s team has been led by the stellar play of two rookie offensive weapons. Quarterback Dak Prescott has tossed for 3,630 yards and 23 touchdowns to only four interceptions. The Mississippi State product was a fourth-round selection in last April’s draft and has done a great job filling in for the injured Tony Romo, who not played yet this season.
First-round selection Ezekiel Elliott has tallied 1,631 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns and is easily a candidate for league M.V.P. and Offensive Rookie of the Year. Wide receiver Dez Bryant has missed time due to injuries, but leads the team with 796 yards and eight scores.

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With a first-round bye already clinched, Dallas is expected to give a bulk of the playing time to backup quarterbacks Romo, and former Eagle Mark Sanchez. Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden can both see time at tailback, while Brice Butler, Cole Beasley, and Terrance Williams can all see time at the wide-out positions.

Carson Wentz (3,537 yards, 14 T.D.’s) has been up-and-down this season but will be starting on Sunday in the season finale. Running backs Ryan Mathews, Wendell Smallwood, and Kenjon Barner will all be missing out due to injury. Darren Sproles and Byron Marshall are expected to be the active tailbacks for Sunday. According to ESPN, Philly is 5-1 when rushing at least 30 times, and 1-8 when they don’t.

With a N.F.C. East clash happening on New Years Day, here are my three things to watch!

1.) End the season on a POSITIVE note!
For the Eagles, this game may not seem like much. A game against a playoff, possible super-bowl contender may seem like a waste for Week 17. Mainly, this game can be used for confidence and as a dress-rehearsal towards next season. For Carson Wentz, he can use this game to patch up some things that haven’t gone the way he may have expected. For the offensive line, it can be protecting their rookie QB and blocking their tails off. For the defense, it can be pitching a shutout and forcing turnovers. Every game can be used as a building block, and I’m sure the Eagles would like to get after their former quarterback too.

2.) Look for some players to play for a roster spot.
With the end of the season looming, players that are fighting for a spot on the team next season will look to make a good impression. Doug Pederson has a lot of changes to make to this group for next season, and he will look for guys that give 110%. With the draft coming in April, Pederson and his coaching staff will soon start evaluating the team’s needs for the future. It may not look like much, but back-ups who get more playing time Sunday can help out their cause with a good performance in the season finale. Players like Byron Marshall, Bryce Treggs, Paul Turner, Trey Burton, etc need to make a strong impression on the coaching staff before the team leaves for the off-season.

3.) Expect a strong game out of Lane Johnson again.
After missing ten games due to suspension, Lane Johnson returned last Thursday for the Eagles. He looked to have not missed a beat after making several key blocks in the victory. For the future, Johnson will be a key part in the success of this offensive line. Without Johnson, several players were shuffled around which hurt the chemistry. With Jason Peters also aging, Johnson could be the cornerstone of the line for the future and could be key. I expect the former Oklahoma product to give another strong performance as the season comes to a close.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys Semi-Coherent Preview

The Eagles would sure like to end the season on a winning note, especially against a N.F.C. East rival. Be sure to check back following the final whistle for the recap of all the action at the Linc.

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