UPDATED 12/8, Re-done poll question: Can the Eagles actually be the #4, #6 or #7 Seed?

[Wallyhorse]

EDIT: Given the situation with the Eagles has changed, I removed the prior poll questions and posted new ones to reflect the Eagles chances.

Eagles could easily if they can figure out how to win at home finish 8-9 or 9-8 and that may be enough to make it:

Panthers (at 5-5, simply SHOCKING the Cardinals on Sunday and actually lead the race for the #7 seed at 5-5) have a BRUTAL final four games: At Buffalo, TWO games with the Bucs and in New Orleans against  the Saints sandwiched in between the games with Tampa.  Plus they host the Falcons.  Eagles own tie-breaker with the Panthers

Falcons (4-5 after being MURDERED by the Cowboys) aside from going to Charlotte to face the Panthers still have to play the Bucs and Saints at home and the Bills on the road.  Eagles also own the tie-breaker with the Falcons.

Vikings (also 4-5 as beating the same Chargers team on the road the Eagles lost to at home last week) still have to face the Packers TWICE as well as the Rams (who they get at home) and the 49ers, who also are in the mix for that final spot.

49ers (3-5 as they play Monday night) have the Rams at home Monday night and have to face them again in the season finale at SoFi when the Rams could be playing for the #1 seed and/or the NFC West along with the Vikings and at the Titans, who are right now even without Derrick Henry the best team in the AFC.  

Football Team (3-6) upset the Bucs and they are at the Panthers next week in what now has suddenly become the Cam Newton Bowl.  They also still have the Cowboys TWICE, us TWICE and have to go to Vegas to play the Raiders in what could be a HUGE game for the RaIders.

Giants (also 3-6) go to Tampa next Monday and besides US TWICE still have to go to LA to play the Chargers and have the Cowboys at home and have to go to Chicago to face a Bears team barely hanging in there.

Seahawks (also 3-6 after losing in Green Bay): still have the Cardinals TWICE and are at the Rams while hosting the 49ers. 

Eagles have ONE BIG advantage: They do NOT have to get on a plane the rest of the regular season.  They have four home games and three road games left, and the three road games are:

TWO in The Meadowlands (Giants and then Jets)
AT the Football Team the day after New Year's

If the Eagles get on a plane again this season, it will be because they are playing on Wild Card weekend.

[NCTANK]

[EazyEaglez]

Let’s just keep it week to week. If the Eagles lose next week we will be back to fire all the coaches, fire Howie, replace the owner, and trade every draft pick for any quarterback in the world not named Hurts. 

[RememberTheKoy]

Yeah I've been thinking they make it as the 7th seed for a few weeks now just with how the schedule was lining up.  Before the Raiders game actually.  I think they potentially win out.  Very easy schedule remaining.  

[kiwieagle]

Yeah, we absolutely can make the playoffs (and not just as #7 - #6 and #7 seeds are both wide open).

Its a combination of things:

1. There are 7 spots this year which helps

2. There are only 5 good teams int he NFC - Rams, Cardinals, Buccs, Cowboys, Packers

3. We have a ridiculously easy schedule left with every single game left winnable - like 50% or better chance the rest of the way (Saints don't have a proper QB, Cowboys may well be resting, everyone else is just bad - Giants x 2, Football Team x 2, Jets)

4. The teams ahead of us all have serious issues or simply aren't good teams. The teams around us all play each other as well e.g. Vikings and 49ers, 49ers and Eagles, NFC South team. Makes it hard for multiple teams to make that run

5. The team that actually scares me the most in terms of ability of going on a winning run is behind us in standings (Seahawks because of Wilson and those receivers) 

The thing that is to be determined for us is that we are a young team and can we really go on a run like this, avoiding a let down game or two?

[D-Shiznit]

[Wallyhorse]

3 minutes ago, kiwieagle said:

5. The team that actually scares me the most in terms of ability of going on a winning run is behind us in standings (Seahawks because of Wilson and those receivers) 

The thing that is to be determined for us is that we are a young team and can we really go on a run like this, avoiding a let down game or two?

I factored that into this.  I think the Eagles can go 5-2 the rest of the way and finish 9-8, which probably is good enough.  Seahawks defense is an albatross at times and likely could allow the Eagles to make it.

[Big___Al]

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!

The Eagles are in need of a major rebuild. There is NO chance of them doing anything in the playoffs this year, even if they somehow make it in. They need high draft picks, and upper-level management changes in order to build for the future. A wildcard spot or whatever will only delay the inevitable.

[kiwieagle]

1 minute ago, Big___Al said:

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!

The Eagles are in need of a major rebuild. There is NO chance of them doing anything in the playoffs this year, even if they somehow make it in. They need high draft picks, and upper-level management changes in order to build for the future. A wildcard spot or whatever will only delay the inevitable.

I somewhat agree with this sentiment. High draft picks would help out a lot and we aren't going to be serious contenders in the playoffs .Absolute ceiling is likely one upset in the first game.

But there is value in younger players learning how to win and close out games. That will help longer-term.

Keep hoping the Dolphins lose - that's your best shot at the really high pick but even then no sure thing we hit on it.

[wrestlevessel]

1 hour ago, kiwieagle said:

I somewhat agree with this sentiment. High draft picks would help out a lot and we aren't going to be serious contenders in the playoffs .Absolute ceiling is likely one upset in the first game.

But there is value in younger players learning how to win and close out games. That will help longer-term.

Keep hoping the Dolphins lose - that's your best shot at the really high pick but even then no sure thing we hit on it.

Dolphins have 4 easy opponents coming up. They could potentially go 3-1. The Jets 2x, Giants, and Panthers.

[kiwieagle]

6 minutes ago, wrestlevessel said:

Dolphins have 4 easy opponents coming up. They could potentially go 3-1. The Jets 2x, Giants, and Panthers.

Yep and so do we. Likely scenario is we end up a 5-10 pick and then a couple in late teens / early 20s.

But think Dolphins have more chance of losing games than us - they have Titans and Pats (likely fighting for playoffs) to close out. 

[Diehardfan]

33 minutes ago, wrestlevessel said:

Dolphins have 4 easy opponents coming up. They could potentially go 3-1. The Jets 2x, Giants, and Panthers.

Yeah, bye bye top 10 picks and hello 13, 16, and 19 or something. Going from top talent to freaking blown pick specials by Howie.

[Random Reglar]

1 hour ago, Diehardfan said:

Yeah, bye bye top 10 picks and hello 13, 16, and 19 or something. Going from top talent to freaking blown pick specials by Howie.

the player I wanted the most last year was Oweh,  who lasted until the end of the first.  And he's been doing well. 

So, the players should be available.  There might be some unavailable, but the one I wanted was available to almost all. 

 

[Diehardfan]

10 minutes ago, Random Reglar said:

the player I wanted the most last year was Oweh,  who lasted until the end of the first.  And he's been doing well. 

So, the players should be available.  There might be some unavailable, but the one I wanted was available to almost all. 

 

Howie drafted Barnett, Dillard, and JR in the first. Dillard may pan out eventually but Howie is an idiot past pick 10.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

They can because they have a decent schedule but I don't think they will. 

They could lose next week and still make the play offs but I don't think they are going to because I don't think they are a good team. 

But hey some of the teams in the fight for the #7 seed may be better than us but they also have tougher schedules. If the Eagles can win next week then suddenly things are going to look very very different for them. 

[Swoop]

It's going to be tough. Saints just gave the Titans a tough game. Washington just beat Tampa and with the Giants, division games are either blowouts or close. 

If they can make it in, I'll be very curious to see how they look against a good team. This schedule may be some fool's gold.

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

23 minutes ago, Swoop said:

If they can make it in, I'll be very curious to see how they look against a good team. This schedule may be some fool's gold.

And I guess that's the "danger" that they beat up on bad teams and then go in to the play offs to face a good team and are going to get pummelled. 

[Swoop]

49 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

And I guess that's the "danger" that they beat up on bad teams and then go in to the play offs to face a good team and are going to get pummelled. 

That's my concern, as well. Going into the year I figured we would win about 6/7 games. I still think ultimately that will be the outcome. 

They have unquestionably played better as of late, but the competition has been pretty substandard. Detroit is terrible, they lost to a solid team in the Chargers and beat up on an average team. I'm not trying to take anything away from them, but it hasn't exactly been a gauntlet either. 

Hurts has been better, too. I still don't believe in him, but at least he is showing some growth in his game. Having said that, he needs to be more consistent and show he can win a game with his arm. Against better teams that can get us away from running the football, he needs to show he can throw us to victory, particularly against a good team. So far, that hasn't been the case and realistically speaking, hasn't been close.

[97is]

I dont trust this defense to get us anywhere.  We tend to make average QBs look unstoppable

[Procus]

The wildcard for the Eagles that nobody is talking about is the return of Brandon Brooks.  If he manages to come back after the bye, the Eagles are absolutely a different team with him in the lineup.

[Seventy_Yard_FG]

I think this 7 seeds thing is dumb.  If they really wanted to expand the game, they should annually invite the top european or other continental best team to the playoffs, regardless of how good they are and let them compete in their own league during their own regular season, or however they decide who is the best. Dont even care if their regular season is televised. They would lose in the first round for a few years but eventually they'd win one and maybe that would be enough to generate some interest.  In the meantime it gives a bit of sideshow entertainment

[ManchesterEagle]

3 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

And I guess that's the "danger" that they beat up on bad teams and then go in to the play offs to face a good team and are going to get pummelled. 

 

2 hours ago, Swoop said:

That's my concern, as well. Going into the year I figured we would win about 6/7 games. I still think ultimately that will be the outcome. 

They have unquestionably played better as of late, but the competition has been pretty substandard. Detroit is terrible, they lost to a solid team in the Chargers and beat up on an average team. I'm not trying to take anything away from them, but it hasn't exactly been a gauntlet either. 

Hurts has been better, too. I still don't believe in him, but at least he is showing some growth in his game. Having said that, he needs to be more consistent and show he can win a game with his arm. Against better teams that can get us away from running the football, he needs to show he can throw us to victory, particularly against a good team. So far, that hasn't been the case and realistically speaking, hasn't been close.

I don't think this team is good enough to get that far in the playoffs.

But the big key for me is Hurts. I'm slightly higher on his chance than both of you I think (certainly Swoop), but I know, despite your concerns, you both want him to succeed and will say when he's played well.

For me the way he played in the second half of the Chargers game and first half of the Broncos game is hugely encouraging. Aside from the results, he just looked a lot better in respect of pocket presence, accuracy and anticipation of his receivers. If he can build on that going forwards, then I am very happy for the Eagles to win enough to make the playoffs and then get bounced, because it means we can roll with Hurts, at least for next year and possibly longer. I don't need him to show that he can win a game on his arm alone at this stage. The O probably still needs another play maker and he is still developing. He just needs to continue to show the improvements he has made on a consistent basis.

The "worst case" scenario is that we beat up on some bad teams with our D (who are good against average to below average QBs) and our running game, but that Hurts regresses and falls back into bad habits. In that situation we make the playoffs, but still need a QB and to restock the D and we hurt our draft stock in making the playoffs.

[EaglesAddict]

I am alway torn on this topic in the situation we are in.  Making the playoffs is always fun because once you're in, anything can happen.  But at the same time when thinking rationally, there is no way this team has a legit shot so making the playoffs only serves as draft pick degradation for a team that needs a lot of help going forward.

[brkmsn]

11 hours ago, EazyEaglez said:

Let’s just keep it week to week.

LOL --- sometimes, the fans think they are the players. 

***Newsflash*** Fan overconfidence or lack thereof has no effect on the team's outcome. If I want to look past the Saints, it won't hurt the actual team (Eagles). 

[Wallyhorse]

Still think the biggest advantage the Eagles have is schedule aside, they have two bus rides to The Meadowlands and one to DC for road games.  They won't have to get on a plane again this season unless they make the postseason.