Eagles stats: Birds still in pole position to clinch No. 1 seed and a first-round bye

The Eagles boarded their flight from Texas without the hats and shirts they were hoping for.

The stinging 40-34 loss to the Dallas Cowboys kept the division and conference titles, and the apparel that comes with them, at arms’ length from the Eagles, but this Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints provides another opportunity to seal things up.

Injuries mounting will complicate things for the Eagles down the stretch and both the Saints and New York Giants will be heading into the Linc with something to play for in the new year.

Here are four numbers that help paint the picture of what’s to come:

» READ MORE: What we learned from Eagles-Cowboys: Jonathan Gannon’s record vs. top quarterbacks remains suspect

The loss in Dallas may elicit some lingering concerns for the playoffs, but it wasn’t a significant blow to the Eagles’ likelihood of staying atop the conference at season’s end.

According to FiveThirtyEight, the Eagles still have a 96% chance of securing the No. 1 seed in the conference and the first-round bye that comes with it.

The Eagles control their own destiny, needing one win in the next two games to clinch. A loss each from the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and the Cowboys in the next two games would also give the Eagles the top seed, even if they lose out. FiveThirtyEight gives the Eagles a 12% chance of securing the top seed this way.

Especially with injuries starting to pile up for the Eagles, a chance for a first-round bye will be crucial for them going into January. More on that later.

Lane Johnson and Avonte Maddox both left the Cowboys game early and are expected to miss the rest of the regular season if not longer.

Johnson, who is dealing with an abdominal injury, has been vital to the Eagles’ success in the last several years and has been one of the best linemen in the league this season. According to ESPN, Johnson has a league-leading 95% pass-block win rate, meaning he holds his block for at least 2.5 seconds more often than any other offensive tackle in the NFL.

Throughout Johnson’s career, the Eagles are 72-44-1 with him in the lineup and 12-20 when he’s sidelined. His 28 games played without allowing a sack is the longest streak in the league as well, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jack Driscoll figures to fill in at right tackle while Johnson’s on the mend, although the Eagles have some options. Andre Dillard has shed his label as an inflexible left tackle by moving to guard earlier this season. His only outing on the right side as a rookie was ugly, but perhaps he’s made strides enough to get a look. If Dillard isn’t capable of playing on the right, there’s also a case to be made for the Eagles’ “best five” that includes Dillard on the left with Jordan Mailata switching sides.

Aside from the injuries, the biggest cause for long-term worry coming out of the Cowboys game was the ease in which Dallas moved the ball against the Eagles secondary.

Dak Prescott was a perfect 24-for-24 when the Eagles used zone coverage on Saturday, according to Next Gen Stats. The performance was reminiscent of the staggeringly high completion percentages of last season when defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s scheme seemed to be a litmus test for good quarterbacks.

Gannon and his group fared well earlier this year against quality quarterbacks including Aaron Rodgers, Trevor Lawrence, and Kyler Murray, but Prescott had his way with the group.

The absence of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, compounded by Maddox leaving early in the second quarter, played a role in the defensive struggles. The flexibility of players like Gardner-Johnson and Maddox allows the Eagles to disguise things more and match up better in man coverage on pivotal downs. With Josiah Scott and Reed Blankenship filling in, things have gotten shakier.

Still, Gannon’s scheme and the lack of resistance it had against Prescott could prove significant if the Eagles and Cowboys see each other in the playoffs.

Speaking of Gardner-Johnson, the safety is eligible to be activated off injured reserve this week after missing the last four games with a lacerated kidney.

The Eagles can open the 21-day practice window for the converted safety and have until 4 p.m. Saturday to add him to the active roster in time for the team’s game Sunday against the Saints.

If Gardner-Johnson is able to play against his former team, it would be a well-timed addition considering the Maddox injury news. Gardner-Johnson played 16% of his defensive snaps in the slot this season and has extensive experience playing there with the Saints during the first three years of his career.

» READ MORE: ‘Mind-blowing’: How the Eagles failed to stop the Cowboys on third-and-30

Blankenship played reasonably well in Gardner-Johnson’s absence at safety, while Scott has been up-and-down in the slot. If the Eagles are comfortable with Blankenship on the back end, they could employ Gardner-Johnson in the slot more often when he returns as a result. Even if they don’t, having Gardner-Johnson back to match up against slot receivers and tight ends in man coverage will be a significant development when the stakes start rising.