The playoff picture couldn't be more simple for the Eagles — who lost their third straight game Monday night. They know what they need to do in the final three games of the regular season.
Philly's loss, 20-17 to Seattle, paired with the Cowboys' blowout loss to the Bills, has them still looking at first place in the NFC East (they will own a tiebreaker). The loss all but ends their pursuit of a No. 1 seed in the NFC and an all-important first-round bye.
Even if the Eagles win out, they would need two losses from San Francisco as the Eagles would lose a tie-breaking scenario against the Bay Area squad, which obviously beat the Birds head-to-head a few weeks ago back in Philly. The battle for the top spot in the NFC:
| Team | Record | GB |
| 49ers | 11-3 | — |
| Eagles | 10-4 | 1 |
| Cowboys | 10-4 | 1 |
| Lions | 9-5 | 2 |
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The Eagles need to win out, and the red-hot 49ers would have to lose twice. The schedules could help, though the Niners look as unbeatable a team as any in the NFL right now.
They also are not in the clear from the Lions, who could in theory catch them for a higher seen among the NFC teams at large.
The Niners have a slightly harder schedule than the Eagles, but it's not that hard. The remaining slate:
| Team | Opponents | Win % |
| Eagles | NYG, ARI, NYG | .310 |
| Cowboys | MIA, DET, WAS | .571 |
| 49ers | BAL, WAS, LAR | .524 |
| Lions | MIN, DAL, MIN | .571 |
The Ravens will give the 49ers a test next Monday night — a game the Eagles will surely be watching with their families on Christmas night after they host the Giants earlier on the holiday. The Niners also finish against a Rams team that might be playing for a Wild Card spot. Dallas at Detroit in Week 17 is now a much bigger game as both have a lot of play for still two weeks from now.
Philly should not have much trouble with New York twice and the Cardinals. They can still assure a 2-seed if they win at least two of their final three contests.
It's been a long time since the Eagles played a bad football team. It will be interesting to see what team shows up.
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