Eagles news: Birds don't get any help from the Bucs; Commanders coach angry; updated playoff scenarios

After Saturday's win against the Washington Commanders, the Eagles would've clinched the No. 3 seed or higher with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Sunday.

Unfortunately, the Carolina Panthers defeated the Bucs and took sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

If the Eagles and Panthers both end the season with a 10-7 record, Carolina would win the tiebreaker with a better record among common opponents. That would force the Birds down to the No. 4 seed, where they would host the No. 5 seed in the wild card round, currently the Los Angeles Rams.

The Eagles have less than a 1% chance of ending the season with the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed, according to the New York Times, but weird things have happened before.

In 2018, the Eagles needed a host of things to happen to secure a wild-card spot down the stretch, and they all did, pushing the Birds to the postseason.

Same thing happened in 2008, with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to give the Eagles a shot at the playoffs if they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the final game of the season, which they did in a 44-6 blowout.

There is an isolating nature to Jake Elliott’s job.

Hundreds of micro moments impact a given game. There are passes and runs and blocks and tackles and situational coaching decisions. All of those things can work in harmony on a given day and success or failure could still hinge on your swinging foot.

The Eagles won going away, 29-18, over the Washington Commanders Saturday night and clinched the NFC East title along the way. But inside a happy locker room was a frustrated kicker who missed two field goal attempts, who has missed five over the past five games, who also missed a point-after attempt during that stretch.

The Eagles could be getting some major reinforcements ahead of next week's matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports right tackle Lane Johnson (foot) and defensive tackle Jalen Carter (shoulders) are expected back next week and could take the field against the Bills.

It's also possible both could be healthy and the Eagles choose to rest them, considering the odds of moving up to the No. 2 or No. 1 seed are incredibly low.

Here at Northwest Stadium, just 35 miles from the city that was the setting for David Simon’s magisterial series The Wire, it is only fitting that, as if attending a barstool wake among Baltimore po-leece, we eulogize the Tush Push. The play that once gave the Eagles a physical, psychological, and strategic edge over every opponent they encountered is, by all available indications, dead.

Three times during their 29-18 victory Saturday over the Commanders, the Eagles tried to run their unique and once-unstoppable version of the quarterback sneak. Three times, it failed. Once, tackle Fred Johnson committed a false-start penalty. Once, Hurts gained no yardage. Once, guard Landon Dickerson committed another false-start infraction. And with his offense facing a (relatively long) fourth-and-1 on its first possession, coach Nick Sirianni had the Eagles punt from their own 41 instead of attempting the play.

This was the flat line across the echocardiogram screen. In 2023, the Eagles led the NFL in fourth-down conversion percentage, at 67.9%. Last season, they were third, but their efficiency rate (71%) was higher. This season, they entered Saturday at 61.1%, seventh-best in the league — good, but not dominant, not close.

Despite Google jumping the gun, the Eagles (10-5) clinched the NFC East and a playoffs spot thanks to Saturday's win against the Washington Commanders (4-10) Saturday night.

That means the Birds will host at least one playoff game at the Linc, where the Eagles haven’t lost a postseason game since the 2019 playoffs.

The Eagles could also clinch the No. 3 seed or better if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) defeat the Carolina Panthers (7-7) Sunday.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love exited with a concussion after he was hit hard in the second quarter, and Green Bay blew a late lead in a gut-wrenching 22-16 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears.

Love was shaken up after a helmet-to-helmet hit by defensive lineman Austin Booker on a sack. Booker was flagged for roughing the passer.

The 27-year-old Love eventually jogged off the field and went into the blue injury tent on Green Bay’s sideline. Then he walked to the visiting locker room.

Near the end of the Eagles' win against the Washington Commanders, a brawl broke out on the field that led to three players being ejected, including Birds offensive lineman Tyler Steen.

“Look out, Tyler Steen is throwing punches,” Fox's play-by-play announcer Joe Davis said during the broadcast. "This is getting ugly."

The fight took place after the Eagles scored a late touchdown and went for a two-point conversion rather than have Jake Elliott – who missed two field goals – attempt an extra point.

The Eagles will still have a chance at moving up to the No. 2 seed when they take on the Buffalo Bills next week in frigid Highmark Stadium.

The Eagles have already clinched the NFC East and could clinch the No. 3 spot or better Sunday with a Carolina Panthers win. The Birds currently have a 16% chance at landing the No. 2 seed, according to the New York Times playoff calculator, but that would improve to 27% with a win over the Bills.

Considering the Eagles entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed last year and went on to win the Super Bowl, it might be something worth playing for.