The Philadelphia Eagles seemingly had a stranglehold on the NFC just a few short weeks ago. But now, after suffering consecutive losses with starting quarterback Jalen Hurts sidelined due to injury, the Eagles don’t look as bulletproof in pursuit of the top seed as they once did.
Following their 20-10 defeat to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the 13-3 Eagles had their advantage in both the NFC and NFC East further impacted. There are a number of scenarios which could prevent the Eagles from earning the No. 1 seed and one which would prevent Philadelphia from even hosting a playoff game.
The Vikings could move to the same 13-3 should Minnesota earn a victory Sunday afternoon against the Green Bay Packers. Should the Vikings win their remaining two games and Philadelphia lose in Week 18 against the New York Giants, Minnesota would earn the conference’s top seed, per Five Thirty Eight.
The San Francisco 49ers also are in the mix for the top spot given Philadelphia’s Week 17 defeat. The 49ers took the field against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon. If the 49ers win their final two games and further benefit from one more loss by the Eagles and Vikings (two games), San Francisco would be No. 1 in the NFC.
And in the division, the 12-4 Dallas Cowboys now are just one game behind the Eagles. Should the Cowboys win in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders and the Eagles lose, Dallas would claim the NFC East and thus Philadelphia wouldn’t even host a playoff game.
Even the Cowboys could still earn the No. 1 seed, although Dallas would need more help than others. The Cowboys would need to win in Week 18, would need the Eagles to lose in Week 18 and would need both Minnesota and San Francisco to lose at least one of their final two games.
Of course, that’s quite a bit to go wrong for the Eagles. Five Thirty Eight currently gives Philadelphia a 94% chance to win the NFC East and 93% chance to earn a first-round bye, though those percentages were revealed before either Minnesota or San Francisco had their Week 17 games decided.
