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The Eagles’ NFL playoff scenarios after Week 16 win over Cowboys

After the Eagles beat the Cowboys 17-9, their path to the playoffs got a lot easier.

Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry dances after sacking Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the fourth quarter.
Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry dances after sacking Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the fourth quarter.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

The Eagles’ path to the playoffs got a whole lot easier Sunday night. In an early Christmas gift to fans, the injury-plagued squad pulled off a 17-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys in South Philly. The team improved to 8-7, and now all that stands in their way is the 4-11 Giants next Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

While the Giants have had a rough season, they a showed a lot of fight in a 41-35 overtime win against the Redskins on Sunday. A re-energized-looking Saquon Barkley logged 189 rushing yards, 90 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.

So, the Eagles can’t afford to overlook the season finale and come out flat. If they do, it’ll take a Dallas loss to the Redskins for the Philadelphia team to clinch the division.

The Eagles can win the NFC East if:

  1. They beat (or tie) the Giants next week.

  2. They lose to the Giants, and the Cowboys lose to the Redskins.

If they win, the Eagles could play:

  1. Seattle (11-4): On Sunday, the Seahawks were upset at home by the now-5-9-1 Arizona Cardinals, and fell to 11-4. Seattle beat the Eagles at the Linc, 17-9, back in Week 13, and it was an ugly one. Seattle plays the the 49ers in the regular-season finale. If the Seahawks win that one, they clinch the division, because they beat San Francisco earlier this season. If they lose, they play in the wild-card round possibly against the NFC East.

  2. San Francisco (12-3): San Francisco beat the Rams, 34-31, on Saturday to slip back into the No. 1 spot in the NFC West. As mentioned above, they could face the NFC East winner if they lose to the Seahawks next week (but if they win, they get home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs).

  3. Minnesota (10-4): The Vikings don’t play the 11-3 Packers until Monday night, but they’re currently in sixth place in the conference. In their most recent game against the Eagles, back in Week 6, Minnesota won, 38-20. After playing the Packers, the Vikings finish their regular season hosting the 7-7 Bears. If they win out, they could move to the No. 5 spot and play the NFC East winner.