At first glance, it would seem our friend Nick Sirianni is in a bit of a perilous position. His place in the good graces of Philadelphia Eagles fans ever tenuous, he can either play Saquon Barkley in a meaningless season finale against the division-rival New York Giants and help him make a run at Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season rushing record, while risking injury to a weapon that is absolutely central to their scheme—Barkley needs 101 yards to break it—or he can sit Barkley and position himself as the no-fun police in front of a veteran locker room that seems, to put it generously, difficult to please and quick to turn.
Playing Barkley and risking some kind of high ankle sprain that could affect the star’s readiness for the playoffs or, God forbid, something worse, would position Sirianni as an all-time Philadelphia punchline. And while Sirianni simply doesn’t care—I don’t remember seeing a coach survive so many moments at the knifepoint of public opinion with this kind of beautiful teenager-like indifference—there is a limit to everyone’s finesse.
