NFC Playoff Picture: Eagles lose handle on top seed

The Philadelphia Eagles controlled the NFC Playoffs for several weeks and had a nice handle on the top seed.  That's no longer the case anymore.  They were already on thin ice when they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, but they really blew it with by losing to the Dallas Cowboys this […]

Kelsey Kramer College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata (68) and offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65) and center Jason Kelce (62) walk off the field after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles controlled the NFC Playoffs for several weeks and had a nice handle on the top seed. 

That's no longer the case anymore. 

They were already on thin ice when they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, but they really blew it with by losing to the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday. 

Here's a look at the updated NFC playoff picture after wrapping up Week 14:

NFC Playoff Picture After Eagles Loss to Cowboys

Division Leaders

1. San Francisco 49ers (10-3)
2. Dallas Cowboys (10-3)
3. Detroit Lions (9-3)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)

Wild Card

5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-3)
6. Minnesota Vikings (7-6)
7. Green Bay Packers (6-7)

In the Hunt

8. Los Angeles Rams (6-7)
9. Seattle Seahawks (6-7)
10. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
11. New Orleans Saints (6-7)

The Cowboys currently hold the tiebreaker due to their 4-1 record in the NFC East, as opposed to the Eagles' 3-1 NFC East record.


Eagles Can Still Win NFC East

The Eagles can still win the NFC East, but they must win their final four games. 

The Eagles finish the season facing Seattle on the road, New York Giants at home, Arizona at home and the Giants on the road.

Those are all winnable games. Even if the Eagles and Cowboys both win out, the Eagles will still win the NFC East because the tiebreaker would come down to the best win percentage in the NFC. The Eagles would have the best percentage by winning their final matchups. 

If the Eagles don't win NFC East, then they will be road favorites over the NFC South winner in the wild card round.

As for the top seed, well that gets trickier because they are currently tied with the Niners and Cowboys. Now the Eagles have to hope those two teams finish with some losses while they win all their games.