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NFL playoff picture: Cowboys can clinch a spot ahead of Eagles game on Christmas Eve

The Eagles can clinch the NFC East on Christmas Eve, but the Cowboys and Chiefs can lock up playoff spots on Sunday.

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys can clinch a playoff spot Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys can clinch a playoff spot Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer
    by Rob Tornoe
    Published 

The Eagles punched their ticket to the playoffs last week, but they’ll have to wait until Christmas Eve to lock up the NFC East.

Regardless of whether the Birds win or lose against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, a win over the Cowboys on Dec. 24 will clinch the division for the Eagles for the first time since 2019.

Here’s how the NFC East stacks up heading into Sunday’s Week 15 games:

Team
Eagles
W
12
L
1
T
0
Pct.
.923
PF
396
PA
248
Team
Cowboys
W
10
L
3
T
0
Pct.
.769
PF
360
PA
7229
Team
Commanders
W
7
L
5
T
1
Pct.
.577
PF
253
PA
256
Team
Giants
W
7
L
5
T
1
Pct.
.577
PF
267
PA
300

The Cowboys are taking on Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 1 p.m. The Giants and Commanders are facing off on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m., in what could end up deciding the final NFC wild-card spot.

The Buffalo Bills clinched a spot in the playoffs Saturday night, thanks to their last-second 32-29 win over the Miami Dolphins. The Minnesota Vikings were a bit more dramatic, punching their ticket to the postseason with a dramatic 33-point comeback victory against the Indianapolis Colts, the largest comeback in NFL history.

Here are all the playoff scenarios heading into Sunday:

Playoff clinching scenarios

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys can clinch a playoff spot with a:

  1. Cowboys win or tie Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars OR

  2. Cowboys tie AND the Giants-Commanders not ending in a tie OR

  3. Lions loss to the New York Jets OR

  4. Commanders loss

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs clinch the AFC West with a:

  1. Chiefs win Sunday against the Houston Texans OR

  2. Los Angeles Chargers loss to Tennessee Titans OR

  3. Chiefs tie AND a Chargers tie

The Chiefs clinch a playoff spot with a:

  1. Chiefs tie AND a Jets loss AND a New England Patriots loss against the Las Vegas Raiders OR

  2. Chiefs tie AND a Patriots loss AND a Jets tie OR

  3. Chiefs tie AND a Jets loss AND a Patriots tie

NFC playoff picture

  1. x* — Philadelphia Eagles (12-1, first in NFC East)

  2. y* — Minnesota Vikings (11-3, first in NFC North)

  3. y* — San Francisco 49ers (10-4, first in NFC West)

  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7, first in NFC South)

  5. Dallas Cowboys (10-3, second in NFC East)

  6. Washington Commanders (7-5-1, second in NFC East)

  7. New York Giants (7-5-1, third in NFC East)

*y: clinched division, x: clinched playoffs

In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (7-7), Detroit Lions (6-7)

Still alive: Green Bay Packers (5-8), Carolina Panthers (5-8), Atlanta Falcons (5-8), Arizona Cardinals (4-9), New Orleans Saints (4-9), Los Angeles Rams (4-9)

Eliminated: Chicago Bears (3-10)

AFC playoff picture

  1. x* — Buffalo Bills (11-3, first in AFC East)

  2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-3, first in AFC West)

  3. Cincinnati Bengals (9-4, first in AFC North)

  4. Tennessee Titans (7-6), first in AFC South)

  5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5, second in AFC North)

  6. Miami Dolphins (8-6, second in AFC East)

  7. New England Patriots (7-6, third in AFC East)

*x — clinched playoffs

In the hunt: Los Angeles Chargers (7-6), New York Jets (7-6)

Still alive: Cleveland Browns (6-8), Jacksonville Jaguars (5-8), Las Vegas Raiders (5-8), Pittsburgh Steelers (5-8), Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1)

Eliminated: Denver Broncos (3-10), Houston Texans (1-11-1)