Eagles Clinch Playoff Berth Ahead of Monday Night Matchup

The Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff berth ahead of their Monday night matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Eagles had multiple ways to get into the playoffs this week. The most straightforward was winning or tying the Seattle Seahawks. However, there were eight other scenarios that all involved getting help from teams. Two such scenarios worked out for the Eagles.

The help came from the NFC North this week. The Eagles needed losses from either the Green Bay Packers or the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams lost their games this week; the Packers lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 34-20 blowout and the Vikings narrowly lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 27-24.

Then the Eagles needed a loss from the Atlanta Falcons. While it was highly unlikely given that the Falcons were facing off against the Carolina Panthers, who were going into the week with just one win on the season, the Panthers pulled off the upset with a last-second field goal that gave them a 9-7 victory over their division rival.

The Eagles then needed the Detroit Lions to defeat the Denver Broncos. That occurred on Saturday, where the Lions demolished the Broncos 42-17.

Additionally, the Dallas Cowboys clinched a playoff spot, but they lost to the Buffalo Bills 31-10. This creates an opportunity for the Eagles to regain control of the NFC East with a win over Seattle.

The San Francisco 49ers clinched a playoff spot last week. If they lose a game over the next several weeks and the Eagles win out, the Eagles will regain control of the first seed in the NFC, which comes with home field advantage and a first round bye.