Eagles (6-9) at Giants (6-9)
1 p.m. on FOX
Giants favored by 3
A battle of 6-9 division rivals closes out the NFL season for the Eagles and New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands. However, despite their records precluding both teams from playoff contention, this NFC East showdown is anything but meaningless.
Here are five things that are on the line for the Eagles this final Sunday, Week 17.
1. Draft slotting
At the very least, Sunday's outcome will have a measureable impact on the future of this franchise.
If the Eagles lose, they are guaranteed no worse than the 11th-overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft and could get as high as nine. If the Eagles win, they will choose no earlier than 13th and could wind up as low as 17. That's a potential eight-spot swing.
I don't have to tell you which outcome the overwhelming majority of Eagles fans would prefer, and you certainly can't blame anybody for rooting against their favorite team in this scenario. A higher draft pick is what's in this franchise's best interests right now.
It's not like the Eagles are going to tank, but there won't be a lot of heartbreak should they happen to lose.
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2. 2016 scheduling
Draft picks are not the only thing that will be affected by this outcome. Winning and losing is also the difference between a second- or third-place schedule in 2016, and the disparity might be bigger than you think.
The key difference is the change to which opponent from the NFC West will meet on the road next season. A loss means the Eagles travel to London to take on a middling St. Louis Rams franchise. A win sends the Eagles to loud CenturyLink Field to face a perennial Super Bowl contender in the Seattle Seahawks.
If the hope is for an Eagles rebound in '16, there's little debate over which opponent you would rather see on the schedule. It's only one game, but one game can be the difference between making the playoffs or not.
3. The Shurmur effect
The chances that Par Shurmur is going to be the next head coach of the Eagles is probably something between none and zero, but the offensive coordinator is in charge for one last game. That certainly isn't meaningless, nor is his previous NFL head-coaching experience.
Number one, Shurmur is selling himself to other NFL clubs, as is every other assistant on the Eagles' roster. A new head coach is going to bring in the people he is most comfortable with, so the folks charged with keeping the ship afloat this week get a bit of head start on the job hunt.
Not only that, but Shurmur's work could even have some impact on his future with the Eagles. Of course, that depends on the quarterback to a certain degree. Maybe, just maybe it would make sense for the next coach to keep Shurmur on.
4. Bradford's last stand?
It's not as if the players don't have anything to prove, either, particularly Bradford. A starting quarterback in the NFL easily makes $17, $18, upwards of $20 million per year, and Bradford — a 28-year-old impending free agent — has a contract coming from somewhere.
Whether or not it's with the Eagles remains to be seen, but this final appearance is not meaningless. No, it's not going to tilt public opinion one way or the other at this point. Then again, it would be a milestone in itself assuming Bradford finishes a season for the first time since 2012.
People still want to see what the guy can do. Sunday will be one last showcase leading into the offseason.
5. Final audition
If there's no other reason to watch the Eagles, it's the fact that everybody, all 53 men on this roster, are playing for their spot on the depth chart or roster.
It's easy to say the Eagles should tank this game. The fact of the matter is every player who takes the field, be it a starter or backup, a veteran or a young talent, they all have to put good work on film in order to continue getting work in the league.
No game in the NFL is ever meaningless.