PHILADELPHIA — Before they tackle rest vs. rust, the Philadelphia Eagles have to approach rest vs. reps.

With the NFC’s No. 1 seed secured, the Eagles (13-2) have nothing to gain against the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) on Sunday other than playing for a franchise-record 14th win.

But Coach Doug Pederson can’t really rest all his starters because there aren’t enough players on the roster.

Banged-up veterans such as defensive end Brandon Graham and left guard Stefen Wisniewski will get extra time off before the Eagles host a playoff game on Jan. 13 or 14. Several others have to play some.

“You’re only limited to 46 (players), and you can only put seven guys down,” Pederson said Tuesday. “If you do the math, some of your starters are going to have to play.”

Starting quarterback Nick Foles sure seemed as if he needs more time working with the receivers following a shaky performance in a 19-10 win over Oakland on Christmas night.

Foles has only played nine quarters since Carson Wentz tore his left ACL. He was sharp off the bench against the Los Angeles Rams two weeks ago and tossed four touchdown passes with no interceptions in a 34-29 win over the Giants in his first start.

On a cold, windy night against the Raiders, Foles was 19 of 38 for 163 yards with one TD and one pick. He didn’t complete any passes to Alshon Jeffery and most of his passes were short.

“I’ve got to play and get him as many reps as he can, and then be smart about it,” Pederson said.

STEELERS: Coach Mike Tomlin isn’t sure how long of a break he wants to give his star players before the postseason begins.

Tomlin is going to wait to determine how much Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and company play during Sunday’s regular-season finale against winless Cleveland.

The Steelers secured a first-round bye by dominating Houston on Christmas night. A shot at the top seed in the playoffs remains a possibility, but relies on the Jets beating New England on the road, something New York has done only once in the past decade.

“We will play to win that football game,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “Who we choose to employ or utilize or activate – we are in the process of discussing.”

TITANS: Coach Mike Mularkey said he’s not ruling out DeMarco Murray for the team’s finale against Jacksonville despite an injured right knee that has the running back day to day.

Mularkey said an MRI confirmed what trainers expected after Murray hurt his knee late in a 25-23 loss to the Rams. Mularkey said he hopes for a limited role for Murray.

WASHINGTON: Coach Jay Gruden said quarterback Kirk Cousins would start Sunday’s finale at the Giants even though there are no postseason ramifications involved.

“Kirk wants to finish out the season,” Gruden said. “Got to get us back to 8-8. I think finishing on a three-game winning streak is important to a lot of people here.”

Whether Cousins plays for the team in 2018 and beyond is one of the NFL’s major offseason questions.

PANTHERS: Starting wide receiver Damiere Byrd was placed on injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the season with a lower leg injury.

Byrd was injured in Carolina’s 22-19 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday. Earlier in the game, Byrd had a key 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown – the longest TD in franchise history.

JAGUARS: Coach Doug Marrone has no plans to rest starters in the regular-season finale even though Jacksonville is locked into the third seed in the AFC playoffs.

Marrone said “we are 100 percent all in on winning this football game.”

CARDINALS: Coach Bruce Arians said a report that he and the franchise have agreed to part ways after this season is untrue, labeling it “fake news.”

An article in Pro Football Weekly cited “multiple sources” as saying the split would come next week at the end of Arians’ fifth season as coach.

But Arians, 65, said that no decision on future seasons has been made. He said he’d never met the article’s author nor knows where any supposed meetings on the subject took place.

COWBOYS: Owner Jerry Jones said on a radio show that Coach Jason Garrett will return for an eighth full season after Dallas missed the playoffs in a year marred by the six-game suspension of star running back Ezekiel Elliott.

BEARS: Coach John Fox insists he isn’t worrying about his future.

With a 14-33 record in three years, Fox might be coaching his final game for the Bears when they finish at Minnesota.

Related Stories