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NFL playoff picture: Eagles can lock up NFC, Giants can clinch postseason spot

It's pretty simple for the Eagles — win and they clinch everything. Though the Vikings and Cowboys could steal the top NFC playoff spot away from the Birds.

Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew can lock of the NFC East and the NFC's top playoff seed with a win Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew can lock of the NFC East and the NFC's top playoff seed with a win Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
    by Rob Tornoe
    Published 

The Eagles’ playoff math is pretty simple heading into their Christmas Eve matchup with the Dallas Cowboys: If they win, they’ll clinch both the NFC East and the NFC’s top playoff seed, which means a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Eagles don’t even have to defeat the Cowboys. Thanks to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ upset over Dallas last week (which earned Doug Pederson a shipment of cheesesteaks), a single win over their final three games will clinch everything for the Eagles.

It’s still mathematically possible for the Cowboys to win the NFC East, but the odds aren’t in their favor. Not only would the Cowboys have to defeat the Eagles on Christmas Eve, Dallas would also have to win its final two games (at the Tennessee Titans and at the Washington Commanders) and the Eagles would have to lose their final two games (at home at the Linc against the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants).

The Minnesota Vikings could also theoretically dethrone the Eagles as the NFC’s top seed. For that to happen, the Eagles would need to lose their final three games and the Vikings would have to defeat the Giants, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears.

Here’s how the NFC East stacks up heading into the weekend’s Week 16 games:

Team
Eagles
W
13
L
1
T
0
Pct.
.929
PF
411
PA
268
Team
Cowboys
W
10
L
4
T
0
Pct.
.714
PF
394
PA
269
Team
Giants
W
8
L
5
T
1
Pct.
.607
PF
287
PA
312
Team
Commandrs
W
7
L
6
T
1
Pct.
.536
PF
265
PA
276

The Cowboys have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, and the Giants and Commanders remain in the playoff hunt. But both face difficult Christmas Eve matchups on the road that they need to win if they want a realistic shot at making the playoffs, especially with the Detroit Lions surging.

The Giants face the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday at 1 p.m. on Fox, while the Commanders take on the San Francisco 49ers at 4:05 p.m. on CBS.

Here are the playoff scenarios heading into Sunday:

Playoff-clinching scenarios

Philadelphia Eagles (13-1)

The Eagles can clinch the NFC East and the NFC’s top playoff seed with:

  1. Eagles win

New York Giants (8-5-1)

The Giants can clinch a playoff berth with:

  1. Giants win against Vikings AND Commanders loss against 49ers AND Lions loss against Carolina Panthers

  2. Giants win AND Commanders loss AND Seattle Seahawks loss against Kansas City Chiefs

  3. Giants win AND Lions loss AND Seahawks loss

Buffalo Bills (11-3)

The Bills can clinch the AFC East with:

  1. Bills win or tie against Chicago Bears

  2. Miami Dolphins loss or tie against Green Bay Packers

Baltimore Ravens (9-5)

The Ravens can clinch a playoff berth with:

  1. Ravens win against Atlanta Falcons AND Dolphins loss or tie

  2. Ravens win AND New England Patriots loss or tie to Cincinnati Bengals

  3. Ravens tie AND Patriots loss

  4. Ravens tie AND Patriots loss AND Dolphins loss AND Los Angeles Chargers win against Denver Broncos

  5. Ravens tie AND Patriots tie AND Dolphins loss

  6. Patriots loss AND Cleveland Browns loss or tie against New Orleans Saints AND Las Vegas Raiders loss or tie against Pittsburgh Steelers AND Tennessee Titans loss or tie against Houston Texans AND Chargers win

Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)

  1. Chargers win AND Raiders loss or tie AND Patriots loss

  2. Chargers win AND Raiders loss or tie AND Patriots tie AND Dolphins loss

NFC playoff picture

  1. x — Philadelphia Eagles (13-1, first in NFC East)

  2. y — Minnesota Vikings (11-3, first in NFC North)

  3. y — San Francisco 49ers (10-4, first in NFC West)

  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8, first in NFC South)

  5. x — Dallas Cowboys (10-4, second in NFC East)

  6. New York Giants (8-5-1, third in NFC East)

  7. Washington Commanders (7-6-1, fourth in NFC East)

x: clinched playoffs; y: clinched division

In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (7-7), Detroit Lions (7-7)

Still alive: Green Bay Packers (6-8), Carolina Panthers (5-9), New Orleans Saints (5-9), Atlanta Falcons (5-9)

Eliminated: Chicago Bears (3-11), Los Angeles Rams (4-10), Arizona Cardinals (4-10)

AFC playoff picture

  1. x — Buffalo Bills (11-3, first in AFC East)

  2. y — Kansas City Chiefs (11-3, first in AFC West)

  3. x — Cincinnati Bengals (10-4, first in AFC North)

  4. Tennessee Titans (7-7, first in AFC South)

  5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5, second in AFC North)

  6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, second in AFC West)

  7. Miami Dolphins (8-6, second in AFC East)

x: clinched playoffs; y: clinched division

In the hunt: New England Patriots (7-7), Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8), New York Jets (7-8)

Still alive: Las Vegas Raiders (6-8), Cleveland Browns (6-8), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8)

Eliminated: Houston Texans (1-12-1), Denver Broncos (4-10), Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1)