Doug Pederson seemed to be playing not to win Sunday night.
First, he goes for it on fourth-and-goal from the 4 rather than taking a chip-shot field goal that would have tied the Philadelphia Eagles with the Washington Football Team at 17.
Then, early in the fourth quarter, he pulled starter Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld, who had not played since 2018.
Sudfeld threw an interception, which probably was as good as a punt.
The @WashingtonNFL defense takes it back. #WashingtonFootball
đź“ş: #WASvsPHI on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/11BxUJlrSI pic.twitter.com/8oxBA5FOj9— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2021
But the New York Giants needed the Washington Football Team to lose so they could win the NFC East and make the playoffs.
Ex-Jet center Nick Mangold nailed it with a tweet after the perplexing Pederson decisions.
Wait, do the Eagles hate the Giants so much they would intentionally lose because WFT is barely trying to win?!?!?
— Nick Mangold (@nickmangold) January 4, 2021
A Giants wideout weighed in, too.
Why on gods green earth is Jalen Hurts not in the game
— Darius Slayton (@Young_Slay2) January 4, 2021
The Eagles intercepted an Alex Smith pass and Pederson came back with Sudfeld, who dropped the snap on the second play and Chase Young recovered for Washington.
This is sickening
— Darius Slayton (@Young_Slay2) January 4, 2021
And the New York Giants may not recover from this decision-making for a long time.
— Candice Hare (@CandiceHare_) January 4, 2021