Eagles NFC's No. 7 seed with two games to play: Here's how Philadelphia can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17

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Eagles NFC's No. 7 seed with two games to play: Here's how Philadelphia can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17

The Eagles can actually clinch a playoff spot next week

 

By Jeff Kerr

 

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The Philadelphia Eagles have put themselves in a position where they can control their own destiny regarding their playoff fate. Thanks to the Eagles' 34-10 victory over the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings' loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16, the Eagles are the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff standings with two games to play. 

No matter how the New Orleans Saints fare against the Miami Dolphins Monday night, the Eagles will be the No. 7 seed because of a head-to-head tiebreaking win over the Saints from earlier this year. Since the Eagles are the No. 7 seed in the conference (they have the same record as the San Francisco 49ers, but the 49ers have the head-to-head tiebreaker), Philadelphia can actually clinch a playoff berth in Week 17. 

How can the Eagles clinch with one week to play? Here are the four things that need to happen:

• Eagles win over Washington
• Saints lose to Dolphins in Week 16 or to Panthers in Week 17
• Vikings lose to Packers
• 49ers win over Texans

Obviously a win over Washington gives the Eagles nine wins and the Vikings losing to the Packers keeps them at seven wins. The Saints losing one of their next two games puts New Orleans at eight wins, but the Eagles own the head-to-head tiebreaker over them. So how would the 49ers -- the team that has the same record as the Eagles -- beating the Texans help? 

The 49ers win over the Texans guarantees there is not a scenario of the Saints, Eagles, and 49ers having a three-way tie for the same record. The Saints would win the strength of schedule tiebreaker for the No. 6 seed and the 49ers would get the No. 7 seed over the Eagles based on their head-to-head victory from earlier this year. 

The 49ers beating the Texans eliminates that scenario. If the 49ers would lose to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 and all three teams tie with a 9-8 record, the conference record tiebreaker applies. The Eagles would get the No. 6 seed based on their head-to-head tiebreaker over the Saints -- and New Orleans would get the No. 7 seed based on having a better conference record than the 49ers. 

This is a complex scenario, but the Eagles can actually clinch a playoff berth next week. 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/eagles-nfcs-no-7-seed-with-two-games-to-play-heres-how-philadelphia-can-clinch-a-playoff-spot-in-week-17/