December 31, 2023
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts with a pitch Sunday against the Cardinals.
The Eagles had a golden opportunity to be in contention for a 1-seed, and have the inside track for a 2-seed — but that all went by the wayside when the defense fell miserably flat against the Cardinals in a stunning 35-31 loss in Week 17.
At 11-5, the Eagles will be in the postseason, without a doubt, but they will now need some help to earn a home playoff game.
Before we break down the scenarios, here's a look at the current NFC standings:
| Team | Record |
| 49ers | 12-4 |
| Cowboys | 11-5 |
| Lions | 11-5 |
| Buccaneers | 8-8 |
| Eagles | 11-5 |
| Rams | 9-7 |
| Packers | 8-8 |
| Seahawks | 8-8 |
| Saints | 8-8 |
| Falcons | 7-9 |
It's really simple as far as the final seeding goes. If the Cowboys win next week, the Eagles are the 5-seed.
The Eagles hold a tiebreaker against the Lions now, after both team's recent losses. So if the Eagles win against the Giants, and the Cowboys lose against the Commanders, there is a 99% chance they'd be the 2-seed (with some complicated common opponent tiebreakers factoring in. More on their specific scenarios can be found here.
Short of a miracle in the season's final week, the Eagles will be playing a road game to open the playoffs at the winner of the NFC South division, which is looking like the Buccaneers even though they lost in Week 17. If they won that game, they'd then be playing either the Cowboys, 49ers or Lions on the road in the Divisional Round — should they still be alive.
Follow Evan on Twitter:@evan_macy
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
