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Tonight’s Rams-Falcons game will help decide Eagles’ first playoff opponent

A Rams loss to the Falcons on "Monday Night Football" means the Eagles won't face the Seahawks first in the playoffs.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will have a better sense of who their first playoff opponent will be tonight.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will have a better sense of who their first playoff opponent will be tonight. Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    by Rob Tornoe
    Published 

The Eagles will host a playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field during the first round of the NFL playoffs, and could get a clearer sense of who their opponent will be Monday night.

The Los Angeles Rams (11-4) take on the Atlanta Falcons (6-9) tonight in a game that could have a big impact on the NFC playoff picture, not to mention who the Birds (11-5) will face in their wild-card game.

» READ MORE: Eagles news: Updated playoff picture; Nick Sirianni taunts Bills fans; injury report

Here’s everything on the line during Monday’s game, and how it could impact the Eagles:

NFC playoff picture

NFC West playoff scenarios

The math is pretty easy here. The winner of Week 18’s matchup between the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) and the Seattle Seahawks (13-3) will end up deciding the NFC West champion and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Rams had an outside chance at claiming the division, but were officially eliminated from contention by the 49ers’ win Sunday night. Now the best Los Angeles can do is the No. 5 seed.

Who will the Eagles play in the wild-card round?

Which team the Eagles face in the first round of the playoffs will ultimately be decided by what happens in Week 18. But a Rams loss Monday night eliminates the possibility the Eagles will face the Seahawks first in the postseason.

Here is a breakdown of the Eagles’ potential wild-card opponents, excluding ties:

  1. No. 2 Eagles vs. No. 7 Packers: Eagles win vs. Commanders AND Bears loss to the Detroit Lions (8-8)

  2. No. 3 Eagles vs. No. 6 Rams: Eagles loss or Bears win AND Rams lose one of their final two games

  3. No. 3 Eagles vs. No. 6 49ers: Rams win vs. Cardinals AND Seahawks win vs. 49ers

  4. 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 Falcons can ruin the NFC South’s win-and-your-in game

With both teams losing Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) and Carolina Panthers (8-8) will face off in Week 18 win-and-your-in game for the NFC South title.

The winner will claim the division crown and the NFC’s No. 4 seed, which means they’ll host a game against the No. 5 seed.

That is, unless the Falcons defeat the Rams Monday night. If that happens, a Falcons and Buccaneers win in Week 18 could force a three-way tie at 8-9 atop the NFC South.

In that unlikely case, the first tiebreaker would be head-to-head among the three teams, which the Panthers would win.

Two AFC divisions will be decided in Week 18

  1. AFC North: A win-and-they’re-in game between the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) and Baltimore Ravens (8-8). The winner becomes the AFC’s No. 4 seed and claims the conference’s final postseason spot, while the loser watches the playoffs from their couch.

  2. AFC South: The Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) will claim their first division crown since 2022 with a win against the Tennessee Titans (3-13) or a Houston Texans (11-5) loss to the Indianapolis Colts (8-8). The Texans need a win and a Jaguars loss to win the AFC South.