Eagles can no longer land the NFC’s top playoff seed, will need help to win the NFC East

The Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) lost to the lowly Arizona Cardinals (4-12) at the Linc on Sunday, eliminating their chances of landing the NFC’s top playoff seed.

Instead, it’s the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) who clinched the No. 1 seed on Sunday, and with it a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the postseason.

Even worse, the Birds are no longer in the driver’s seat in the NFC East, thanks to the Dallas Cowboys (11-5) win over the Detroit Lions (11-5) on Saturday night.

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed all but certain the Eagles would win the NFC East. Now their chances of winning the division seem a big dicey.

Now the Eagles will need a Cowboys’ loss in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders to have a chance of winning NFC East. Here is how the Eagles can still win the division:

For the Cowboys, the path to winning the NFC East just got a lot easier. A win against the Commanders and the Cowboys will be division champs, dropping the Eagles all the way down to the No. 5 playoff seed. The Cowboys will also win the NFC East if the Eagles lose to the Giants in Week 18.

After Sunday’s action, there are three playoff spots up for grabs in the NFC heading into Week 18.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) lost to the New Orleans Saints (8-8) Sunday, which means the NFC South will be up for grabs in Week 18.

The Los Angeles Rams (8-8) clinched a playoff berth, while the Green Bay Packers (8-8) remain in the wild-card hunt after defeating the Minnesota Vikings (7-9) on Sunday Night Football.

The Chicago Bears (7-9) were officially eliminated from playoff contention Sunday.

Clinched the playoffs: San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams

Eliminated from playoffs: Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Chicago Bears

The Baltimore Ravens (13-3) clinched both the AFC North and the AFC’s No. 1 seed with their blowout win against the Miami Dolphins (11-5)

Thanks to the Dolphins loss and the Buffalo Bills (10-6) victory against the New England Patriots, the winner of Week 18′s matchup between the Bills and Dolphins will win the AFC East and become the AFC’s No. 2 seed.

The Cleveland Browns (11-5) clinched a playoff spot with their win over the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. But the Ravens’ win locks the Browns into the No. 5 seed.

The Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) clinched the AFC West title for the eighth straight season and have locked in the No. 3 seed.

» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Coaching, defense fail them in a loss to the Cardinals

The Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Cincinnati Bengals were all eliminated from playoff contention Sunday.

Clinched the playoffs: Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs

Eliminated from playoffs: New England Patriots, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals.

The NFL playoffs begin with the wild-card round, with the first game scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Jan. 13 on NBC.

There are six wild-card games that will air on Fox, CBS, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. The new wrinkle this year is one wild-card game will stream exclusively on Peacock, NBC’s subscription service.