Getty Wide receiver Devin Duvernay #13 of the Baltimore Ravens is tackled by free safety Logan Ryan #23 of the New York Giants.
“I personally could not have done what Philadelphia did.” That was NBC’s Cris Collinsworth’s take during the closing seconds of the Eagles’ six-point defeat at the hands of their divisional foes, the Washington Football Team in Week 17.
Collinsworth’s sentiment echoed throughout the NFL world and dug deep into the core of New York Giants faithful.
An Eagles win on Sunday night would have clinched the Giants their first playoff appearance since 2016 and only their second since 2009. Instead, the Eagles toyed with Big Blue’s heart, trotted out an undermanned team, exceeded expectations for three quarters, only to seemingly call it quits with approximately 15 minutes remaining in regulation.
Down just three points in the fourth quarter, head coach Doug Pederson shocked the world, pulling starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, owner of both Eagles touchdowns on the night, in favor of third-stringer Nate Sudfeld. As you could expect, Sudfeld did not rise to the occasion. The former sixth-round pick completed just 5-of-12 passes for 32 yards in his first game appearance of the season. He also accounted for two turnovers (one interception, one fumble) and a godawful QBR of 2.4.
The Eagles would go on to drop the game 20-14, Washington would punch a ticket to the playoffs and the Giants would see their season come to a screeching end.
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Logan Ryan: ‘Winning 6 Games Doesn’t Give Us Much Right to Get Pissed’
Pederson’s decision left many puzzled and a handful of Giants players voicing their displeasure on social media. NBC’s Peter King was hoping that a late-night phone call with New York’s star safety Logan Ryan would deliver some hard-hitting headlines.
Instead, in typical Logan Ryan fashion, he kept things cordial and came from a realist perspective.
“Wish I could give you the explosive stuff you wanted,” Ryan told King, who noted that he hoped the safety would ‘come out with barrels blazing.’ “There will be a lot of opinions about whether they were trying to win. You want to play the game to win, but I don’t play for the Eagles, I don’t coach for the Eagles. It’s their team. Winning six games doesn’t give us much right to get pissed off about this. We didn’t play consistent enough all year to earn it.”
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Ryan Praises Ron Rivera & Alex Smith
Instead of harping, Ryan shifted his focus on the league and their ability to operate during a pandemic.
“Honestly, my hat’s off to us and to the league for getting this done this year, getting these games played,” Ryan said. “To play competitive with no fans, no practice, virtual meetings, no coaches in one game, no quarterbacks in one game . . . This is the toughest time Americans have faced, and we got through it.”
Ryan finished things off by giving a tip of the hat to two key driving forces to the WFT’s playoff berth.
“Give credit to Washington,” he stated. “Ron Rivera, what he’s been through, and Alex Smith, his journey. Wow.”
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