SI

Doug Pederson Explains Benching Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld: ‘I Was Coaching to Win’

In Monday’s Hot Clicks: Doug Pederson’s explanation for throwing in the towel, Stephen Curry’s career night and more.

Dan Gartland

Everyone knows this isn’t true

The 256th game of the NFL season, played in prime time on NBC, is usually a great appetizer for the playoffs. Last year, the 49ers beat the Seahawks in the Sunday Night Football showcase to win the NFC West and clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs. This year, it left everyone watching with a sour taste in their mouths. 

The Giants, having beaten the Cowboys earlier in the day, just needed the Eagles to beat Washington to be crowned NFC East champions. Washington played like a team that knew it was on the brink of the postseason. The Eagles players played hard, too, but their coach didn’t. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Doug Pederson gave Jalen Hurts the hook and put career third-stringer Nate Sudfeld in the game at quarterback. Sudfeld was terrible, and the Eagles lost without putting up a fight.

After the game, Pederson explained his decision. 

“Yes, I was coaching to win,” Pederson said. “Yes, that was my decision solely. Nate has obviously been here for four years, and I felt that he deserved an opportunity to get some snaps. 

“Listen, if there’s anything out there that thinks that I was not trying to win the game, [Zach] Ertz is out there, Brandon Graham is out there, Darius Slay is out there. All our top guys are still on the field at the end. We were going to win the game.”

The charitable interpretation of that quote is that Pederson thought he could give Sudfeld a chance to play while also trying to win the game. Everything the national TV audience saw from Sudfeld should make it clear that there was no way that could be true. The game was over the moment Sudfeld stepped on the field. Pederson is right: The couple of star players who weren’t inactive did stay in the game, but at the most important position on the field, the Eagles were playing a guy who looked as ineffective and outmatched as Cowboys QB Ben DiNucci was against Philadelphia earlier this season. 

The uncharitable interpretation is that Pederson was lying his ass off when he claimed the Eagles were trying to win the game. Pederson can point to the presence of Ertz, Graham and Slay as evidence that he hadn’t fully given up on the game, but there’s simply no way to square that with his decision to put Sudfeld in charge of the offense. Even though Hurts played easily his worst game of the season, it’s ludicrous to suggest that the Eagles had a better chance of winning with him on the bench. 

Pederson added on Monday morning that he was also trying to evaluate some of the players further down the depth chart. 

Content is unavailable

If evaluating the future of the Eagles’ quarterbacks was the goal, then Hurts should have played the whole game. The biggest decision the team will have to make this offseason is whether Hurts will remain the starter and turn Carson Wentz into the league’s most expensive backup. Every additional snap Hurts takes—especially in a game where he struggled against an elite defensive line—helps make that decision easier. 

This isn’t college, either, where a benchwarmer gets some action in the season’s final game as a reward for putting in the work over the years. Unless you’re a playoff team incapable of improving your seeding, players want to win every regular-season game. The only other time Sudfeld saw extended game action was in the final game of the 2017 season, when the 13–2 Eagles rested Nick Foles against the Cowboys after having already clinched home-field advantage. 

Giants players and fans (myself included) are understandably upset that the Eagles’ lack of effort ended up deciding the division race. (The Giants could have also taken their fate out of the Eagles’ hands by winning more than six games.) Fans of the 30 other non-Washington NFL teams should also be upset that the Eagles turned the game into a mockery, and that Pederson had the gall to claim it wasn’t a sham. 

The best of SI

Giants players were irate over the Eagles' throwing the game. ... The Dolphins blew a shot at the playoffs, but it’s silly to suggest moving on from Tua Tagovailoa. ... The Alabama–Ohio State national title game matchup looks pretty familiar. ... How the wheels came off the Patriots’ dynasty.

Around the sports world

Lamar Jackson is the first QB to rush for 1,000 in two different seasons but didn’t know it. ... Mason Rudolph and Myles Garrett, one year after the infamous helmet-swinging incident, shook hands after the Browns–Steelers game. ... The Cowboys might have beaten the Giants if Mike McCarthy had challenged a questionable catch call, but he didn’t think it was as obvious a blown call as everyone else. ... Drew Brees is reportedly expected to retire after this season. ... The NHL is reportedly planning two outdoor games at Lake Tahoe in February. 

This Jason Kelce quote from a few weeks ago is a lot more relevant now

Content is unavailable

The Eagles' farce knocked the Jets off the back page

Content is unavailable
Content is unavailable

While everyone was watching the Eagles embarrass themselves, Stephen Curry erupted for a career-high 62

Derrick Henry is the rare running back who had a slow start to his career before breaking out in his mid-20s

Content is unavailable

How is this possibly roughing the passer?

Content is unavailable

A.J. Brown’s route was great but Ryan Tannehill’s throw was flawless

Content is unavailable

Give that man his money

Content is unavailable

This guy had himself a day

Content is unavailable
Content is unavailable

Titans fans will be talking about the “single doink” for years to come

Name the Comeback Player of the Year Award after Alex Smith and make this the trophy

Jayson Tatum in the clutch!

Boomer has a long nap in his future

Pretty tricky!

In a division as unpredictable as the NFC East, how could they all pick the same team?

This will be hung up in every Buffalo dentist’s office

Ridiculous skill

Content is unavailable

Adam Gase lasted a whole five hours after the Jets’ final game

Bill O’Brien set this team back many, many years

The Caribbean winter leagues are great because you get cool baseball highlights in the dead of winter

Sadly, he won’t be recreating his Grey Cup parade

Content is unavailable

Jimbo wanted no part of that Gatorade shower

Content is unavailable

Heart-pounding video

Content is unavailable

Imagine if he had missed

Content is unavailable

Not sports

Ratatouille: The Musical (which I watched somewhat begrudgingly but actually enjoyed) raised over $1 million for charity. ... The Mandalorian was the most pirated show of 2020. ... U.S. movie ticket sales fell by 80% in 2020. 

The solar system is pretty cool

Somebody brought their husband’s Magic: The Gathering cards on Antiques Roadshow, and they were appraised at up to six figures

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.

Published
Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

Home/Extra Mustard