Eagles Still in the Hunt: How a Rams Collapse Opened the Door in the NFC Playoff Picture
If you’re an Eagles fan watching Thursday night’s wild finish between the Rams and Seahawks, you might’ve felt a little déjà vu-and maybe even a flicker of hope.
The Rams, once cruising with a 30-14 lead, unraveled in dramatic fashion, falling 38-37 to the Seahawks in overtime. It marked the second time this season Los Angeles has coughed up a lead of 16 or more points.
The first? Back in Week 3 against the Eagles, when Philly stormed back from a 26-7 deficit to win 33-26.
This latest Rams meltdown doesn’t just sting for L.A.-it reshapes the NFC playoff race in a major way. And for the Eagles, it quietly keeps the door cracked open for something that once seemed out of reach: the No. 1 seed in the conference.
NFC Playoff Picture After Week 16's Opener
Here’s how the NFC playoff standings look following Seattle’s comeback win:
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
- Chicago Bears (10-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Green Bay Packers (9-4-1)
Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves-the Eagles still have work to do. For any of this to matter, they need to win out.
That starts with a must-win against Washington in Week 16. A victory there clinches the NFC East and officially punches their playoff ticket.
From there, it’s about stacking wins against the Bills and Commanders again to finish 12-5.
But the real intrigue lies in what happens around them.
What Needs to Happen for the Eagles to Claim the No. 1 Seed
Let’s break it down:
- Seattle Seahawks: The Eagles need the Seahawks to drop both of their remaining games-against the Panthers and the 49ers. That’s no easy ask, but it’s not impossible. If that happens, and Philly wins out, the Eagles would hold the tiebreaker thanks to a better conference record and a stronger strength of schedule.
- San Francisco 49ers: Similar story here. A 12-5 finish or worse for San Francisco would keep them from leapfrogging the Eagles. If both teams finish 12-5, Philly again holds the edge in tiebreaker scenarios.
- Los Angeles Rams: Thursday night’s loss helped Philly’s cause, but they’ll need the Rams to lose one more to stay behind in the standings. In a tie at 12-5, the Eagles would own the tiebreaker over L.A.
- Chicago Bears: This is where it gets tricky. The Eagles don’t want to tie with the Bears.
That Week 13 loss to Chicago gives the Bears the head-to-head advantage. So Philly needs the Bears to lose at least two of their final three games-against the Packers, 49ers, and Lions.
All tough matchups, and all potential losses.
- Green Bay Packers: The Packers’ tie earlier this season adds a wrinkle. If they finish 11-5-1, they edge out a 12-5 Eagles squad.
But if they lose one more, dropping to 10-5-1 or worse, Philly can leapfrog them. The good news?
The Eagles already beat Green Bay, so if a tiebreaker somehow comes into play, they’re in good shape.
The Bottom Line
There’s a lot of math, a lot of matchups, and a lot of moving parts. But here’s the simple truth: the Eagles are still alive for the top seed in the NFC.
It’s a long shot, but it’s not a fantasy. That Rams loss was a domino the Eagles needed to fall, and it did.
Now, it’s up to Philly to handle its own business.
Win out. Take the division. Then, and only then, can the Eagles start dreaming bigger.
The path is narrow, but it’s there.