Eagles' Foles to start vs. Bears, but questions remain on rib injury, Wentz's status

PHILADELPHIA – Eagles coach Doug Pederson didn't waste any time Monday confirming Nick Foles as the team's starting quarterback in their playoff game against the Chicago Bears this Sunday.

That erased speculation on the severity of the chest/rib injury that forced Foles to leave the game early in the fourth quarter on Sunday in the Eagles' 24-0 win over Washington, enabling the Eagles to clinch the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC.

Eagles beat Washington, get help from Bears to make playoffs, but Nick Foles injured

Foles underwent tests Monday morning on his ribs, injured when he was sacked by Washington's Ryan Kerrigan in the first minute of the fourth quarter. The week before, Foles left the game for a play in the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Houston's Jadeveon Clowney leveled him on a completion to Alshon Jeffery.

When asked what the tests showed, Pederson responded: "I didn’t see them. I don’t know what it said, what it read, what it looked like."

Pederson was then asked about basing his decision on those tests. 

"Yeah, everything was good," he said. "It was clear."

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Foles' status raised other questions that Pederson wouldn't answer, beginning with what that means for Carson Wentz, who was the Eagles' starting quarterback before he was sidelined with a stress fracture in his back after the overtime loss to the Cowboys on Dec. 9?

The Eagles have not put Wentz on injured reserve, and Pederson was vague on whether Wentz will practice this week. Wentz has not practiced since he was diagnosed with the injury.

"I don’t have any further updates on Carson at this time," he said.

He was then asked if Foles will be the starting quarterback as long as the Eagles are in the playoffs. If the Eagles (9-7) beat the Bears (12-4), they would face the top-seeded Saints in New Orleans on Jan. 13. The Saints have a bye this weekend.

"For this week," Pederson responded, adding that "there’s no guarantee we’re going to win this game."

Then he said if the Eagles do win, he'll evaluate the situation next Monday.

Pederson said "as of now," Nate Sudfeld will serve as the backup quarterback against the Bears.

That could be significant, too, because Sudfeld has had to come into each of the last two games when Foles got hurt. Against the Texans, Sudfeld came in for one play, threw one pass, which was incomplete, before Foles returned. 

Foles then led the Eagles to the game-winning field goal.

Nick Foles has chest injury, not sure if he'll play as Eagles' QB situation in flux again

On Sunday, Sudfeld also threw one pass, a 22-yard touchdown to Nelson Agholor. But the Eagles already had the game well in hand. The rest of Sudfeld's 10 plays, he either handed the ball off or took a knee to run out the clock.

Those are the only two passes that Sudfeld has thrown this season. His only other NFL experience came last Dec. 31 in the regular-season finale against Dallas, which was a meaningless game because the Eagles had already clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

So if Foles were to leave the game against the Bears and their ferocious pass rushers in Khalil Mack (12.5 sacks) and Akeem Hicks (7.5 sacks), would the Eagles feel more comfortable with an inexperienced Sudfeld coming into the game or a not fully-healthy Wentz?

That is something the Eagles will have to decide as the week goes along. 

For now, they're ecstatic to still be playing, considering that they won five of their last six games and needed the Bears to beat the Vikings on Sunday just to have a chance to defend their Super Bowl victory from last season.

"For us, the way this year went, and to be playing the way we are this last month of the season, it’s a good thing," safety Malcolm Jenkins said about entering the postseason with momentum. "We’re finding our (rhythm) on offense, on defense. Some of the younger guys who were forced into tough positions earlier in the season now have experience and are making plays and are the reason why we’re having success.

"It’s no coincidence that we are where we are."

Foles has had a lot to do with that, of course. He has led the Eagles to three straight victories. And he has set team records two weeks in a row. On Sunday, he completed 25 straight passes, also tying an NFL record set earlier this season by the Chargers' Philip Rivers. The old team record was 24 set by Donovan McNabb in 2004.

The week before, Foles threw for a franchise-record 471 yards.

Foles just wants to keep that going as long as he can.

"My plan is to get ready to roll," he said after the game. "I want to wear that jersey one more time – and hopefully more. But all we have guaranteed is this week. So, once again, just staying in the moment and taking care what I have to take care of."

Injury update

Pederson said WR Mike Wallace, activated off injured reserve last week, will do individual drills for the second straight week. It's not known yet if he'll play against the Bears. Wallace broke his leg against Tampa Bay on Sept. 16. ... Pederson said CB Sidney Jones, who has missed seven of the last 10 games with a hamstring injury, is "still a little bit of a longshot. ... He also said left guard Isaac Seumalo, who missed the last three games with a pectoral muscle injury, could practice this week.

The Eagles will continue their plan of holding just a walkthrough practice on Wednesday instead of a full one, then practice Thursday and Friday.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.