NFL playoff picture: Eagles can clinch top seed, but so can Cowboys and 49ers
It remains simple for the Eagles — win in Week 18 and they clinch everything. But the 49ers and Cowboys could steal the top NFC playoff spot.
A win against the New York Giants on Sunday and the Eagles clinch everything. A loss and things get interesting.
It doesn’t get much simpler than that heading into the final week of the NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers remain alive in the hunt for the NFC’s top playoff seed, which means a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Conveniently, the NFL has scheduled all three teams to kick off at the same time Sunday afternoon.
If the Eagles lose and the Cowboys win, the Birds would fall as far down as the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs, forcing them on the road during the first round against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That wouldn’t be ideal, considering the Buccaneers knocked the Eagles out of the playoffs in the same exact situation last season.
If the Eagles lose and the 49ers win, the Birds would still win the NFC East and end up with the No. 2 seed. In that scenario, they would host a first-round playoff game at the Linc against the No. 7 seed, which could be against the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, or Detroit Lions, depending how things shake out Sunday.
Fortunately, the Giants have nothing to play for. They’re locked in as the No. 6 seed, and can’t move up or down, regardless what happens against the Eagles. As a result, the Giants are expected to rest a number of starters on Sunday, including quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
NFC East standings
NFC playoff picture
x — Philadelphia Eagles (13-3, first in NFC East)
y — San Francisco 49ers (12-4, first in NFC West)
y — Minnesota Vikings (12-4, first in NFC North)
y — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8, first in NFC South)
x — Dallas Cowboys (12-4, second in NFC East)
x — New York Giants (9-6-1, third in NFC East)
Seattle Seahawks (8-8, second in NFC West)
x: clinched playoffs; y: clinched division
In the hunt: Detroit Lions (8-8), Green Bay Packers (8-8)
All the Packers need is a win against the Lions in Week 18 and they’ll secure the NFC’s final wild-card spot, eliminating the Seahawks and Lions.
The Seahawks need a win over the Rams and a Packers loss to the Lions, while Detroit needs a win and the Seahawks to lose.
NFC No. 1 playoff seed scenarios
Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
Eagles clinch the top NFC playoff seed with:
Eagles win or tie
Eagles loss AND 49ers loss or tie AND Cowboys loss or tie
San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
49ers clinch the top NFC playoff seed with:
49ers win AND Eagles loss
Dallas Cowboys (12-4)
Cowboys clinch the top NFC playoff seed with:
Cowboys win AND Eagles loss AND 49ers loss
AFC Playoff picture
z — Kansas City Chiefs (14-3, first in AFC West)
y — Buffalo Bills (12-3, first in AFC East)
y — Cincinnati Bengals (11-4, first in AFC North)
y — Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8, first in AFC South)
x — Baltimore Ravens (10-6, second in AFC North)
x — Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, second in AFC West)
New England Patriots (8-8, second in AFC East)
x: clinched playoffs; y: clinched division; z: clinched top seed
In the hunt: Miami Dolphins (8-8), Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8),
Doug Pederson and the Jaguars clinched the AFC South Saturday night with a win against the Titans, who are now eliminated from the playoffs.
The Patriots need just a win against the Bills to secure a wild-card spot (they could lose and still get in, but would need a lot of help). The Bills can no longer end up the No. 1 seed, thanks to the Chiefs win against the Raiders on Saturday, but Buffalo could drop to the No. 3 seed with a loss and a Bengals win against the Ravens.
The Dolphins still have a shot to land the final wild-card spot. A win Sunday against the Jets paired with a Bills victory over the Patriots, and the Dolphins would be in the playoffs.
The Steelers also have a shot at the playoffs, but would need a win in Week 18 paired with losses by the Patriots and Dolphins.
NFL Playoffs TV schedule
The first round of the playoffs begin next weekend. Fox and NBC will each broadcast two games, while CBS and ESPN will get one game each. The full schedule will be announced following Lions-Packers on Sunday Night Football.
The basic schedule works like this in the NFC and AFC:
No. 1 seed: Bye
No. 7 at No. 2
No. 6 at No. 3
No. 5 at No. 4
Saturday, Jan. 14
Sunday, Jan. 15
Monday, Jan. 16