Eagles head coach Doug Pederson says there will be no scoreboard watching during game against Washington. Photo from yahoosports.com

When the game against the Washington Redskins gets started (4:25 PM FOX), the only thing Eagles players and coaches plan to do is try to win the game.

According to every Eagle coach and player, there will be no scoreboard watching to see how the Chicago Bears are doing against the Minnesota Vikings or how the Los Angeles Rams are doing against the San Francisco 49ers.

Let’s go over the scenarios. In order for the Eagles (8-7) to make the playoffs, first they must beat the Redskins at FedEX Stadium and the Bears must defeat the Vikings, no ties.

Minnesota (8-6-1) is at home and have everything to play for. The Bears (11-4) can claim the No. 2 seed and a valuable first round bye if they knock off the Vikings and the Rams (12-3) lose to the 49ers (4-11).

The Rams are at home, which if you remember the last two times the Birds played out there, did not mean much. One hope is that 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens, who has been under center since highly paid starter Jimmy Garoppolo went out week three with an ACL, plays as well as he has since he took over the starting signal caller duties.

The undrafted free agent from 2017, out of Southern Mississippi, is 153 of 241 for 1,995 yards with 10 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Since taking over, Mullens’ quarterback rating is 91.2.

The 23-year-old is producing like a top-10 quarterback. He ranks eighth in the league in adjusted yards-per-attempt, ahead of more established QB brands like Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff.

So there are real reasons for Eagles fans to have hope their team will have a chance to defend its Super Bowl title in Atlanta at Super Bowl LIII.

While it is fun for fans and observers to kick around different stats and scenarios, to head coach Doug Pederson, it was all about the only thing he and his team can control…beating the Redskins.

At one of his press conferences this week, Pederson was drilled about whether he wanted to know the score of the Vikings-Bears game during his game.

Pederson was asked if he will be scoreboard watching?

“We can’t control what Washington puts on their scoreboard.”

Does Pederson want to know during the game what us going on in the Vikings game?

“You know what, I don’t think it matters,” Pederson said.”Because quite frankly, our guys are still playing for a lot of reasons. There’s a lot of pride in the locker room. Both games are at the same time, and we just have to focus on Washington and get through that game.”

Pederson was pressed about whether going to take a peek up there if they put the score up on the scoreboard.

“No,” was the coach’s answer.

Asked again…will he?

“No,” Pederson said again then made a little light of the questions and the reality of the temptation to know what’s going on. “That’s what I have (Eagles Director of Public Relations” Brett (Strohsacker) for.”

All Pederson and his team needs to do is focus on their task at hand….win. *

Follow Al Thompson on Twitter @thompsoniii