Eagles news: Nick Sirianni mum on resting starters; Rams game could impact Birds' wild-card opponent; updated playoff picture
The Eagles will face the Washington Commanders in Week 18 with the No. 2 seed still in play.
The Eagles eked out a 13-12 win against the Buffalo Bills Sunday and remain in the hunt for the NFC's No. 2 seed. Here is the updated NFL playoff picture and how Monday's Rams-Falcons game could impact the Birds.
The inconsistency of the Eagles offense won't be resolved until the offseason, writes Jeff McLane.
Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts was silenced in second half, but Jalyx Hunt had a breakout game on defense.
Eagles just might muddle their way to another Super Bowl, writes columnist David Murphy. Even Skip Bayless thinks the Birds are Super Bowl bound.
The Eagles will end their season against the Washington Commanders at the Linc on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. The game will air on CBS. Here's the full Week 18 schedule.
Eagles injury report
Defensive end Jaelan Phillips left Sunday's game in the second quarter with what appeared to be a lower leg injury, but quickly returned to the field and ended up playing 87% of the defensive snaps.
Wide receiver Britain Covey also returned to the field after briefly being knocked out of Sunday's game during a punt return, when a Bills player accidentally ran into his leg while attempting a fair catch.
Offensive tackle Lane Johnson (foot) and linebacker Nakobe Dean (hamstring) both sat out Sunday's game. Johnson hasn't played since Week 11, but likely won't be back until the playoffs.
Nick Sirianni undecided on playing starters vs. Commanders
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was — as expected — noncommittal about whether he will let his starters loose for Sunday's season finale vs. the Washington Commanders.
"It’s not a decision I have to make today or even tomorrow," Sirianni said Monday, a day after the Eagles' 13-12 victory over the Buffalo Bills kept them alive for the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
The Eagles need to win, and have Chicago lose vs. Detroit, in order to get the No. 2 seed and a guarantee at a second home playoff game should they win their first. The second seed also presents a more favorable matchup vs. seventh-seeded Green Bay.
Watch: Nick Sirianni speaks as playoffs approach
Despite win, Eagles' Super Bowl odds drop
The Eagles have fallen to the fourth spot in the race to win the NFC championship, according to both FanDuel and DraftKings. The Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks remain in the top two spots. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers have dethroned the Eagles for the third spot, making it an all NFC West top three.
Rams: +280
Seahawks: +290
49ers: +440
Eagles: +450
Bears: +900
Packers: +950
Seahawks: +270
Rams: +270
49ers: +450
Eagles: +500
Bears: +900
Packers: +950
Eagles stats: Dallas Goedert sets a franchise record, and other notable numbers
The final score in Orchard Park, N.Y., 13-12 Eagles, was an interesting one. It was no Scoragami, though. While Sunday was the first 13-12 game of the 2025 season, it marked the 22nd game in NFL history with a 13-12 final, according to The Football Database.
The Eagles previously won a game by the same score on Oct. 26, 1997 at home vs. Dallas.
While the score may not have been terribly unique, there were some pretty rare numerical occurrences to come from the Eagles’ victory.
How ESPN's Joe Buck is keeping track of the playoff picture tonight
It's going to be a wild Week 18, with four divisions up for grabs (NFC West, NFC South, AFC North, AFC South) and both No. 1 seeds undecided.
Over at ESPN, Joe Buck is calling the Monday Night Football matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons, and shared his messy playoff cheatsheet for tonight's game:
» READ MORE: Tonight’s Rams-Falcons game will help decide Eagles’ first playoff opponent
'Going into the playoffs, I like what I see'
The Eagles entered Sunday’s game as slight underdogs after coming off two wins over mediocre teams with losing records: the 2-14 Las Vegas Raiders and the 4-12 Washington Commanders. One of the biggest concerns heading into their Week 17 matchup was how they would the look against a playoff team, one with reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen at quarterback.
After the win, former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy admitted that he liked what he saw from the Eagles as they prepare to head into the postseason.
“Everything favored the Buffalo Bills,” McCoy said on The Speakeasy podcast. “Who got dominated though, physically? If you watch the game, turn the volume down and just watch the game, we were beating the [expletive] out of them — physical, up front.
Dallas Goedert at FB?
Tonight’s Rams-Falcons game will help decide Eagles’ first playoff opponent
Which team the Eagles face in the first round of the playoffs will ultimately be decided by what happens in Week 18. But a Los Angeles Rams loss Monday night to the Atlanta Falcons would eliminate the possibility the Eagles will face the Seattle Seahawks first in the postseason.
Here is a breakdown of the Eagles’ potential seeding and wild-card opponents, excluding ties:
No. 2 Eagles vs. No. 7 Packers: Eagles win vs. Commanders AND Bears loss to the Detroit Lions (8-8)
No. 3 Eagles vs. No. 6 Rams: Eagles loss or Bears win AND Rams lose one of their final two games
No. 3 Eagles vs. No. 6 49ers: Rams win vs. Cardinals AND Seahawks win vs. 49ers
No. 3 Eagles vs. No. 6 Seahawks: Eagles loss or Bears win AND Rams win their final two games AND 49ers win vs. Seahawks
The math in the NFC West is pretty easy. The winner of Week 18’s matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Seahawks Saturday night will end up claiming the NFC West crown and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Two wild stats from Eagles-Bills game
The Eagles were one Bills two-point conversion away of blowing a big win in Buffalo Sunday night.
That didn't happen without some weird stuff occurring. Here are two wild stats from the Eagles' win:
Jalen Hurts didn't complete a pass in the second half: Hurts became the first NFL quarterback since 1978 to go 0-7 or worse in multiple games in a season, according to ESPN Research (the first was the Eagles narrow Week 4 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Amazingly, the Eagles won both games, becoming the first team since the 1987 New England Patriots to win multiple games in a season where they didn't complete a single second-half pass.
The Bills got the final 14 first downs in the game and still lost: Flagged by Wharton professor Deniz Selman, the Bills offense dominated the Eagles in the second half, but came away with just 12 points, thanks to a failed two-point conversion and a blocked extra point that ultimately became the difference in the game. The Eagles ran 17 plays in the second half, gaining just 17 yards and punting on all four of their possessions.
» READ MORE: Eagles’ inexplicable second half offense nearly soils defensive gem vs. Josh Allen and the Bills
Eagles made some 'mind-boggling calls' during second-half meltdown
The inconsistency of the Eagles offense won't be resolved until the offseason
Jalen Hurts sat at his locker stall and nodded as Nick Sirianni spoke. The quarterback listened intently to his coach until he ended the conversation with an adage that summed up the Eagles’ defensive-minded 13-12 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
“Hey,” Hurts said to a parting Sirianni, “a win’s a win.”
They mostly have defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit to thank. Special teams should get kudos as well. And lastly, they should give gratitude to Bills coach Sean McDermott, who shockingly went for two and the win despite the ineptitude of the Eagles offense in the second half.
NFL playoff picture: Eagles still have a shot at the No. 2 seed
The Eagles (11-5) still have a shot at landing the NFC's No. 2 seed thanks to the Chicago Bears (11-5) loss to the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) Sunday night.
The math is pretty simple. An Eagles win against the Washington Commanders (4-12) and a Bears loss to the Detroit Lions (8-8) and the Birds would end the season with the No. 2 seed. Otherwise, the Eagles would enter the playoffs at the No. 3 seed.
It might not seem like a big difference from the No. 3 seed, but it would mean hosting at least two playoff games at the Linc if the Eagles win in the wild card round.
Nick Sirianni taunts Bills fans following win
During the 2023 season, an emotional Nick Sirianni taunted Kansas City Chiefs fans following a narrow win by the Eagles.
The move backfired. The Eagles went on to lose five of their next six games in an epic collapse that cost them an NFC East title, followed by an early playoff exit.
That trash-talking Sirianni was back following Sunday's win against Buffalo, where the Birds head coach offered a similar-sounding taunt aimed at Bills fans.
Eagles to face the Commanders Sunday in final game of the season
The Eagles will face the Washington Commanders for the second time in three weeks in their final game of the regular season.
The game will take place on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. and air on CBS, the NFL announced late Sunday night. With both the Eagles and Chicago Bears playing for the No. 2 seed, the NFL opted to schedule both teams concurrently so neither game would be irrelevant at kickoff.
If the Eagles win and the Bears lose to the Detroit Lions, the Birds would end up the No. 2 seed. Otherwise the Eagles will enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed.
Full Week 18 schedule
Saturday
Panthers at Buccaneers: 4:30 p.m., ESPN/ABC
Seahawks at 49ers: 8 p.m., ESPN/ABC
Sunday
Saints at Falcons: 1 p.m., Fox
Browns at Bengals: 1 p.m., CBS
Colts at Texans: 1 p.m., CBS
Titans at Jaguars: 1 p.m., Fox
Packers at Vikings: 1 p.m., CBS
Cowboys at Giants: 1 p.m., Fox
Chargers at Broncos: 4:25 p.m., CBS
Cardinals at Rams: 4:25 p.m., Fox
Chiefs at Raiders: 4:25 p.m., CBS
Dolphins at Patriots: 4:25 p.m., Fox
Lions at Bears: 4:25 p.m., Fox
Jets at Bills: 4:25 p.m., CBS
Commanders at Eagles: 4:25 p.m., CBS
Ravens at Steelers: 8:20 p.m., NBC
Photos from Eagles win against Bills
2025 Eagles schedule
Week 1: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
Week 2: Eagles 20, Chiefs 17
Week 3: Eagles 33, Rams 26
Week 4: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
Week 5: Broncos 21, Eagles 17
Week 6: Giants 34, Eagles 17
Week 7: Eagles 28, Vikings 22
Week 8: Eagles 38, Giants 20
Week 9: Bye week
Week 10: Eagles 10, Packers 7
Week 11: Eagles 16, Lions 9
Week 12: Cowboys 24, Eagles 21
Week 13: Bears 24, Eagles 15
Week 14: Chargers 22, Eagles 19
Week 15: Eagles 31, Raiders 0
Week 16: Eagles 29, Commanders 18
Week 17: Eagles 13, Bills 12
Week 18: Commanders at Eagles, TBD (TBD)