PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles returned to practice for the first time Wednesday to prepare for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, despite having a bye week in the wild-card round.
After a lackluster performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 in which he finished with a passer rating of 9.3 with four completions in 11 attempts for 39 yards and one interception, Nick Foles earned a hearty endorsement from head coach Doug Pederson as the team's starting quarterback on Tuesday.
However, Pederson didn't rule out the potential that backup Nate Sudfeld could see playing time if the Eagles' offense struggles in a playoff situation.
"It's hard to say right now until I'm in that situation," Pederson said. "Listen, it's a one-game season. It's hard to be in desperation mode, but if you are in that mode, who knows. I do know this: it's not about one guy; it's about 11 on offense, defense, and special teams. A lot of contributing factors go into winning a game."
How does Nick Foles stay up against NFL Playoff QBs?
Sudfeld, in his first career NFL appearance, completed 19-of-23 passing attempts for 134 yards and finished with a passer rating of 90.9 against the Cowboys.
It will be interesting to see if Sudfeld gets any practice reps with the first-team offense over the next two weeks, after Pederson said Tuesday that those would belong to Foles exclusively.
Given Foles' lack of playing experience and the fact that Foles threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns in his only previous playoff appearance with the Eagles in a loss to the Saints back in 2013, it isn't surprising to see Foles get the nod.
You can check out the above video of Foles and Sudfeld throwing during Wednesday's practice.
Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoPHL.