Eagles: Who could they face in Round 1 of the NFL playoffs?
The Philadelphia Eagles playoff picture is not what many thought what it would look like a month ago. The Birds, who once controlled the NFC, currently hold the fifth seed heading into their Week 18 matchup against the New York Giants. Things could change if Philly wins and the Dallas Cowboys lose, but, for now, […]
The Philadelphia Eagles playoff picture is not what many thought what it would look like a month ago.
The Birds, who once controlled the NFC, currently hold the fifth seed heading into their Week 18 matchup against the New York Giants.
Things could change if Philly wins and the Dallas Cowboys lose, but, for now, we're going to look at which teams the Eagles could face as the fifth seed in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.
According to FTN and their DVOA probability metric, there are three potential teams the Eagles could go against if they stay put at No. 5.
Let's take a look.
Potential playoff rivals if Eagles stay at No. 5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 74.3% chance of being 4th seed
The (8-8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on tap to face the (2-14) Carolina Panther for their regular season finale.
If they win, then they'll win the NFC South and that's who the Eagles will face.
If the Bucs can't beach the worst team in the league, then it's going to be a long offseason.
It'll be interesting, though. The Bucs have been far from consistent this season and it's unclear if starting quarterback Baker Mayfield (ribs) will be available, which could be a game-changer.
The Eagles faced Tampa on the road earlier this season and had an easy time beating them 25-11. Tampa didn't even score a touchdown until the fourth quarter.
The Bucs need to win and the Cowboys need to win in Week 18 in order to play host to the Birds in Round 1 of the NFL playoffs.
New Orleans Saints, 17.6% chance of being 4th seed
The (8-8) New Orleans Saints will finish their regular season playing host to the (7-8) Atlanta Falcons in Week 18.
The last time these two teams faced each other was in November when Atlanta won 24-15.
The Falcons have looked horrendous lately and have been playing musical chairs with their quarterbacks. Still, expect them to put up a fight against their biggest NFC South rival.
Even if the Saints pull off a win, they'll need the Bucs to lose to land the No. 4 seed.
Atlanta Falcons, 8.1% chance of being 4th seed
As I said above, the Falcons have not been playing good football for the third straight year under head coach Arthur Smith.
They pulled off a Christmas Eve win over the Indianapolis Colts but then fell 37-17 to the Chicago Bears.
They also lost to the Panthers. You never know what you're going to get with this team, but they're undeniably beatable.
The Falcons will need to beat the Saints and the Buccaneers to host the Eagles in the Wild Card round.
If for some miracle that actually happens, then the Eagles will cakewalk into the second round of the NFC playoffs.
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