The Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff scenarios greatly improved when the Dallas Cowboys lost during Thursday Night Football. It brought the Eagles within half a game of a tie for first place in the NFC East.
The Cowboys dropped to 6-7 by losing to the Chicago Bears, dampening their own goal of winning the division. Now, the 5-7 Eagles have a shot, though it is going to take a lot of work down the stretch.
While there is almost no shot at taking over one of the Wild Card slots in the NFC (though not impossible), the Eagles have a specific route they could take to secure a divisional title.
Philadelphia Eagles playoff scenarios
If the Eagles can win their final four games of the regular season, they will clinch first place in the NFC East. That will net them the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs and give them a first-round home game. Wouldn’t that be something?
.@BoobieMilesXXIV is finding his stride as he enters the final stretch of his historic rookie season.#FlyEaglesFly
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 6, 2019
The Eagles finish the season with games against the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Cowboys, and then the Giants again. Going 4-0 in those games will improve the Eagles to 9-7 and win the NFC East.
Here is the bad news. Finishing 8-8 might not be good enough. The Eagles would lose the tiebreaker with the Cowboys when it comes down to divisional records, especially after losing to the Cowboys earlier this season.
If the Cowboys were to finish 7-9, then an 8-8 record would be good enough for the Eagles, but that would mean the Cowboys need to lose to either the Los Angeles Rams or Redskins (or both) down the stretch. Yes, that’s also possible, but it takes control out of the Eagles’ hands.
To make everything even easier, let’s assume that the Eagles beat the Giants on Monday Night Football. That would leave the Cowboys and Eagles tied at 6-7 atop the NFC East.
From that point on, the Eagles would need to win one more game than the Cowboys to close out the regular season.
Thursday Injury Report pic.twitter.com/RotWOy9RiU
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 5, 2019
If we get technical about things, should the Minnesota Vikings lose their four remaining games, the Bears lose two of their remaining games, and if the Rams lose three of their remaining games, a 9-7 Eagles team could steal the second Wild Card in the NFC.
That’s a pretty unlikely scenario. It’s safer to focus on the NFC East.