Primer: Eagles Playoff Scenarios

With two weeks left and the Eagles currently in second place in the NFC East, we figured you could use a primer on what needs to happen for the Birds to get into the playoffs.

So below is a list of every scenario that would land Chip Kelly’s squad in the postseason. If you think I missed one or have questions, speak up. Note that in these scenarios, I am assuming no ties.

1. Eagles go 2-0; Cowboys go 1-1.

This is the simplest scenario that would land the Eagles in the postseason. They would tie the Cowboys at 11-5 and would own the tiebreak (division record). It doesn’t matter which game Dallas loses in this scenario. The Cowboys host the Colts in Week 16 and travel to Washington in Week 17.

Per reports out of Dallas, DeMarco Murray had hand surgery today, and his status for Sunday is up in the air.

2. Eagles go 1-1; Cowboys go 0-2.

Same deal here, except both teams would finish 10-6. The Eagles would again win the tiebreak on account of division record. It would not matter in this scenario which game the Eagles lost.

If the Eagles were to win the division, they would be the No. 3 seed and host a first-round playoff game against the lower wild-card team.

3. Eagles go 2-0; Lions go 0-2.

In this scenario, the Eagles would get a wild-card berth at 11-5, finishing ahead of the 10-6 Lions. The Packers would win the NFC North.

The Lions travel to Chicago in Week 16 and to Green Bay in Week 17. In addition to rooting for the Colts this weekend, Eagles fans also need to root for the Bears.

4. Eagles go 2-0; Packers go 0-2.

This is essentially the same scenario as above, except the Eagles would finish ahead of Green Bay, and Detroit would win the division. The Eagles would finish at 11-5, and the Packers would finish at 10-6.

Green Bay goes to Tampa in Week 16 and hosts Detroit in Week 17. Obviously, the above scenarios are more likely than this one. But if you own a Josh McCown jersey, Sunday would be a good day to wear it.

5. Eagles go 2-0; Seahawks go 0-2.

Again, this is pretty much the same scenario as the previous two. It’s just the team that changes. In this scenario, the Eagles would finish at 11-5, and the Seahawks would be 10-6. The Cardinals would win the NFC West.

The Seahawks go to Arizona in Week 16 and host the Rams in Week 17. They have won four in a row and seven of the last eight.

** Note that the Eagles lose all tiebreaks against the Cardinals, Seahawks, Packers and Lions. They own the tiebreak against the Cowboys.