NFL playoff picture: How soon can the Eagles lock up the NFC East?

The Eagles officially clinched a spot in the playoffs on Sunday with their blowout win against the New York Giants.

It’s the first time the Birds have punched their ticket to the postseason in Week 14 since 2017, which ended with the Eagles’ first Super Bowl victory and a parade down Broad Street.

The Eagles have an 87% chance to win the NFC East, according to FiveThirtyEight. But the soonest the Birds could officially lock up the division is on Christmas Eve, when they face the Dallas Cowboys (10-3) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Regardless whether the Eagles win against the Chicago Bears (3-10) on Sunday, the Birds would clinch the NFC East with a win or a tie in Dallas on Dec. 24.

Wins against both the Bears and Cowboys would lock up the top playoff seed for the Eagles, which would mean a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the postseason.

Here are the current NFC East standings:

Here’s the NFC playoff picture ahead of tonight’s New England Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals game on Monday Night Football.

In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (7-6), Detroit Lions (6-7), Green Bay Packers (5-8), Carolina Panthers (5-8), Atlanta Falcons (5-8)

Still technically alive: Arizona Cardinals (4-8), New Orleans Saints (4-9), Los Angeles Rams (4-9)

Eliminated: Chicago Bears (3-10)

If the season were to end today, every team in the NFC East would make it to the playoffs. The Commanders and Giants tied on Dec. 4, but the Commanders get the tiebreaker because they have a win in the division, while the Giants don’t. The two teams play again Sunday.

The 49ers could clinch the NFC West in Week 15 with a win against the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.

The Cowboys could clinch the playoffs Sunday with a win against the Jaguars (5-8). They could also clinch a postseason appearance with a tie or a loss and some help, according to NFL playoffs analyst Joe Ferreira:

The Vikings could clinch the NFC North with a win or tie on Saturday against the Colts. They’ll also clinch the division if the Lions lose or tie any of their last four games.

Here’s the AFC playoff picture:

In the hunt: New York Jets (7-6), New England Patriots (6-6), Los Angeles Chargers (6-6), Jacksonville Jaguars (5-8), Las Vegas Raiders (5-8), Cleveland Browns (5-8), Pittsburgh Steelers (5-8)

Still technically alive: Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1)

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

There’s still a chance the Eagles could have the first pick in next year’s NFL Draft, thanks to a savvy trade of future draft picks made in April with the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints (4-9) had their bye week Sunday, and if the season were to end today, the Eagles would end up with the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, according to Tankathon.

For that pick to end up No. 1, the Saints would have to end up with a worse record than the Houston Texans (1-11-1), who have lost eight straight games and face the Chiefs on Sunday. The Saints would also have to end up doing worse than the Denver Broncos (3-10), the Chicago Bears (3-10), and the Los Angeles Rams (4-9).

So while it’s unlikely the Eagles will land the top pick, it’s entirely possible the Birds have a top five pick in next year’s draft.

On the flip side, the Saints are only two games behind the Buccaneers in the NFC South. Though the odds are low (1%, according to FiveThirtyEight), the Saints could still end up winning the division, which would drop the Eagles’ draft pick to No. 18 at the lowest.