The Eagles can clinch a playoff spot this Sunday. Here’s how.
The Birds also are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs if they win their final two games.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/IQ5HNYAK3BCPBACNL4IHGQLNEE.jpg)
The Miami Dolphins’ 20-3 win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday moved the Eagles one step closer to an unlikely playoff berth.
Thanks to the Saints’ loss, the Eagles now have a 61% chance to make the playoffs, according to the New York Times. The Eagles control their own postseason destiny, and are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs if they win their final two games — this weekend at Washington, and at home in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys.
On top of that, the Eagles could clinch their first playoff appearance since 2019 this Sunday with a win over Washington and some help.
Here’s what needs to happen for the Eagles to secure a spot in the playoffs in Week 17:
The Eagles need to win against the Washington Football Team at FedEx Field.
The Minnesota Vikings need to lose against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football on NBC.
The New Orleans Saints need to lose at home against the Carolina Panthers at 4:35 p.m. OR the San Francisco 49ers need to win or tie at home against the Houston Texans at 4:05 p.m.
While it’s unlikely everything will fall the Birds’ way Sunday, it’s hardly out of the realm of possibility. The Packers are notoriously hard to beat at home during the winter, and the 49ers head into their game against the Texans favored to win by two touchdowns.
The Saints looked terrible Monday behind struggling rookie quarterback Ian Book, but former Temple coach Matt Rhule has had his own problems with the Panthers, who haven’t won a game in more than a month.
» READ MORE: Eagles running back Miles Sanders ruled out for Sunday’s game with a broken hand
Eagles could still end up with the top wild-card spot in the NFC
While an NFC East title is out of reach, the Eagles still have a chance to end up as the top wild-card team in the NFC.
For that to happen, the Eagles would need to win their final two games. They also would need the Cardinals to lose their final two games — this week against Dallas and in Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks.
This year, the playoffs have been expanded to three wild-card teams for each conference, meaning the Eagles wouldn’t host a game at the Linc if they secure the No. 5 seed. Instead, they would play on the road against the NFC’s No. 4 seed, currently the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Eagles’ current projected first-round matchup would be against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
» READ MORE: After Jalen Hurts snub, NBC’s Chris Simms admits he was wrong about Eagles quarterback
Playoff picture heading into Week 17
2022 NFL playoffs TV schedule
This year, there will be six games during the first round of the NFL playoffs. Here’s when they’ll take place: