Eagles struggling to make the POSS
NFL Playoff Scenario: The Eagles’ chances took a couple hits on Sunday
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Things could’ve gone better.
by AdamHermann@adamwhermann Nov 28, 2016, 10:45am EST
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Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Playoffs?
The Eagles started the season 3-0. They’ve since lost five of their last seven games. If they want a shot at making the playoffs, they’re going to have to start winning, and fast, because the rest of the conference isn’t waiting up for them.
There were a pair of games the Eagles had hoped would fall one way on Sunday, but instead fell the other.
The Giants beat the Browns on the road, 27-13, and moved to 8-3, making things that much harder if the Birds want to catch New York in the wild card race. The NFC East continues to be the strongest division in the NFC, somehow, and even if the Eagles win tonight against the Packers, they’ll still be in fourth place looking up at everyone despite being a game over .500 on the year.
Also, a week after knocking off the Eagles, the Seahawks scored just five points against Tampa Bay and lost to the Buccaneers, 14-5. The Buccaneers moved to 6-5 and jumped to the top of the in-the-hunt pile-up, just outside of wild card range. Considering Washington and Kirk Cousins (ahem, Kurt Coupons) sits in the No. 6 seed with five games to play, there’s still plenty of time for that final playoff spot to move around before things are over. But Tampa Bay is just another obstacle for the Eagles to hurdle in their increasingly-difficult playoff route.
Here’s where the NFC stands this morning, before the Eagles face the Packers tonight on Monday Night Football:
BYES
1. Dallas Cowboys 10-1
2. Seattle Seahawks 7-3-1
DIVISION LEADERS
3. Detroit Lions 7-4
4. Atlanta Falcons 7-4
WILD CARDS
5. New York Giants 8-3
6. Washington Redskins 6-4-1
IN THE HUNT
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-5
8. Minnesota Vikings 6-5
9. Philadelphia Eagles 5-5
10. New Orleans Saints 5-6
11. Arizona Cardinals 4-6-1
12. Green Bay Packers 4-6
Certainly not ideal, but also not awful. The Eagles face three of the six teams in the playoffs before the season is over, and if they win all three, there is a good chance that the Birds could snag the six seed.
If not? Well, Carson Wentz might not be perfect after all.