Joe Judge calls out Doug Pederson and Eagles for tanking against Washington

The New York Giants head coach was none too pleased about the Philadelphia Eagles’ effort against the Washington Football Team.

The NFL had put the Philadelphia Eagles-Washington Football Team game on Sunday Night Football because of the playoff implications it carried. If the Eagles had won, the New York Giants would win the NFC East title. If Washington won, they’d clinch the playoff berth.

The former didn’t happen, as Eagles head coach Doug Pederson punted at the opportunity to win the game in the fourth quarter, as he benched rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in favor of third-stringer Nate Sudfeld. It angered not only Giants players and fans as they watched the tank job unfold, but also former NFL players and coaches.

During the team’s end of season conference call on Monday, Giants head coach Joe Judge unloaded on Pederson and the Eagles’ lack of effort in Week 17, saying he’d never disrespect the players or the game by pulling something like that.

Judge notes the sacrifices made to ensure the regular-season was completed

It’s important to note that none of the Giants players had discussed how the Eagles loss cost them the chance to make the playoffs. The universal message was that they had to control their own fate to win the division, and they didn’t do that after finishing 6-10 on the year. As it turns out, Judge was going to be the one to blast the Eagles.

Getting the 2020 regular-season to be completed in full was a difficult task for the league and all 32 teams, but they got it done. Judge noted all of the testing players had to do, having to do virtual meetings in case the facility was shut down and sacrificing time with family during the holidays to ensure the season was finished. And he wasn’t pleased to see what the Eagles did in prime time with the nation watching.

Shortly after Philadelphia’s loss, Pederson stressed that putting Sudfeld in was to give the Eagles a chance to win the game. It’s important to note that Pederson said that he had planned to give Sudfeld some reps leading up to the Washington game. He did do so, but in probably the most questionable portion of the game, when they were down by just three points.

With the loss, the Eagles clinched the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. If they had won, they’d drop down the board to ninth. What the Eagles plan to do with that pick is anyone’s guess, but let’s face it, the team isn’t going to admit they deliberately tanked the final game of the season.

The Giants-Eagles rivalry is officially renewed and as venomous as ever. If the NFL doesn’t put this in prime time for Week 1 of next season, then what are they even doing?