The Eagles had complete control of the NFC just two weeks ago and even just two days ago.
Instead of getting up for their toughest games of the regular season, the Birds didn’t show up at all two weeks ago and the offense failed to execute plays that clearly could have put them in position to win games.
With the two losses, the Eagles have also yet to even clinch a playoff spot.
So where are the Birds at when it comes to their playoff picture?
Clinch A Playoff Spot
The playoffs is all but a sure thing for the Eagles.
They are a win and in team at this point. It’s that simple, beat Seattle on Sunday and the playoff berth is clinched.
If you’re interested in some additional what-ifs:
The only scenarios that could see the Eagles end the season without a playoff spot would involve the following:
- Eagles Lose Out
- Seahawks Win Out
- Vikings Win Out
- Packers Win 4 of Last 5
Note: The NFC South cannot take a wild card spot from the Eagles due to Philadelphia having clinched tie breakers over both Tampa Bay and Atlanta, the only two teams that could both win out and reach 10 wins on the season.
Win The Division
There has not been a repeat division champion in the NFC East since Philadelphia locked it down for four straight seasons from 2001-2004.
The Eagles are hoping to change that and, have complete control of that.
If the Eagles win out, they will repeat as the NFC East Champions.
That’s the baseline here. If the Eagles win out, it doesn’t matter what else anyone else does anywhere in the league, they will secure a divisional championship and at least the two seed in the playoffs.
The Cowboys currently hold the tiebreaker, but the Eagles will take that back if they manage to beat all the teams remaining on their schedule: divisional opponent Giants twice and two common opponents in Seattle (who Dallas beat) and Arizona (who Dallas lost to).
If you’re interested in some additional what-ifs:
Should the Eagles lose to the Giants once, they would need Washington to top Dallas in January. If they lose to the Giants both times, they lose the tiebreaker entirely.
If the Eagles lose to Arizona or Seattle, it would hurt the team in both the common opponents and the NFC tie breakers. In that case, the Eagles would need Buffalo or Miami to top the Cowboys in order to get the tiebreaker tied back up to force a strength of victory tiebreaker.
Clinch A Bye
This is where the Eagles have totally lost control after to flat out embarrassing performances in a row. Unfortunately, the Seahawks didn’t have Geno Smith this week, either, which left what is perhaps the best team left on San Francisco’s schedule utterly useless in their matchup this past Sunday.
The Eagles control their own destiny over everyone else (with the most likely other contender being Dallas) but would need help with the 49ers. Left on their schedule in 2023 are Arizona, Los Angeles (Rams), Washington and Baltimore. Eagles fans will need to root for Baltimore in two week and the division rival Rams (a division rival in the hunt for a playoff spot) in the final week of the season as they are the two teams most likely to get themselves a win over the 49ers.
The Eagles will also need to fight off the Cowboys and Lions. The Cowboys were covered above in the divisional section but the Lions face Dallas, Denver and Minnesota (who is a division rival fighting for their own playoff spot) twice. If the Eagles win out, it’s irrelevant what happens with either of those teams.
Overall, the easiest path would be the Eagles winning out their final four games and seeing the 49ers incur one more loss. Any further loss by the Eagles and they may not even have a chance at the bye anymore.
Standings
San Francisco 49ers (10-3) – Currently 1 seed
Dallas Cowboys (10-3) – Currently 2 seed
Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) – Currently 5 seed
Detroit Lions (9-4) – Currently 3 seed
Minnesota Vikings (7-6) – Currently 6 seed
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) – Currently 4 seed
Green Bay Packers (6-6) – Currently 7 seed – Plays Monday night against Giants
Remaining Schedule
@ Seattle Seahawks (6-7) – Monday Night Football, 12/18, 8:15pm
vs New York Giants (4-8) – Christmas Day Football, 12/25, 4:20pm
vs Arizona Cardinals (6-7) – New Year’s Eve, 12/31, 1:00pm
@ New York Giants (3-10) – 1/7, TBD
