The Eagles can clinch a playoff spot Sunday. Here’s how.
The Birds have the best record in the league and don't have to win against the Giants to secure a playoff spot.
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The Eagles have the league’s best record at 11-1, and if the season were to end today, the Birds would be the No. 1 seed and the NFC playoffs would have to go through Philadelphia.
The Eagles have a greater than 99% chance to make the playoffs and a 74% chance to secure home-field advantage and a wild-card bye, according to the number crunchers over at FiveThirtyEight. But technically, the Eagles have yet to officially punch their ticket to the postseason.
That can change Sunday, when the Birds travel up I-95 to take on the New York Giants (7-4-1) at MetLife Stadium in northern New Jersey. The Giants are fighting for a playoff spot of their own, but after a hot start, New York hasn’t won a game in nearly a month and faces a tough battle for a wild-card spot with the Washington Commanders (7-5-1) and the Seattle Seahawks (7-5).
Here’s what needs to happen for the Eagles to secure a spot in the playoffs in Week 14:
The Eagles will advance to the postseason with a win against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.
If the Eagles lose, they can still advance to the postseason if the San Francisco 49ers (8-4) lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) AND the Seahawks lose to the Carolina Panthers (4-8).
The NFC East is too tight for the Eagles to lock up anytime soon. The Birds are just two games up on the Dallas Cowboys (9-3), who have won three straight and face the lowly Houston Texans (1-10-1) on Sunday. The Eagles will play the Cowboys in Dallas on Christmas Eve.
Here’s how the NFC looks heading into Sunday’s games:
The Eagles aren’t the only NFC team that can secure a playoff appearance on Sunday. Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings can lock up the NFC North division title in Week 14 with a win or tie against the Detroit Lions.
Over in the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs can clinch the AFC West division title with a win against the inferior Denver Broncos and a Los Angeles Chargers loss against the Miami Dolphins on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
2022 NFC playoff picture
Philadelphia Eagles (11-1, first in NFC East)
Minnesota Vikings (10-2, first in NFC North)
San Francisco 49ers (8-4, first in NFC West)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6, first in NFC South)
Dallas Cowboys (9-3, second in NFC East)
New York Giants (7-4-1, third in NFC East)
Seattle Seahawks (7-5, second in NFC West)
In the hunt: Washington Commanders (7-5-1), Detroit Lions (5-7), Green Bay Packers (5-8), Atlanta Falcons (5-8).
2022 AFC playoff picture
Buffalo Bills (9-3, first in AFC East)
Kansas City Chiefs (9-3, first in AFC West)
Baltimore Ravens (8-4, first in AFC North)
Tennessee Titans (7-5, first in AFC South)
Cincinnati Bengals (8-4, second in AFC North)
Miami Dolphins (8-4, second in AFC East)
New York Jets (7-5, third in AFC East)
In the hunt: New England Patriots (6-6), Los Angeles Chargers (6-6), Cleveland Browns (5-7), Pittsburgh Steelers (5-7), Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)
Eagles could still land the top pick in the 2023 NFL draft
Thanks to a savvy trade of future draft picks back in April, the Eagles currently have the New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the Saints currently sitting at 4-9, that currently equates to the No. 5 pick in the draft, according to Tankathon.
For the Eagles to get the No. 1 pick, the Saints would have to lose their remaining five games (including one against the Birds on Jan. 1) while the Texans (1-10-1) would somehow have to win three of their final five. The Saints would also have to finish behind the Chicago Bears (3-10), Denver Broncos (3-9) and Los Angeles Rams (4-9)
As bananas as it sounds, the Saints are currently just two games back from the Buccaneers (6-6) in the NFC South. If the Saints somehow managed to win the division, that would drop the Eagles’ pick all the way down to No. 18 at the lowest.