NFL Playoff Picture: Saints loss to Dolphins moves Eagles closer to clinching in Week 17

The Philadelphia Eagles are one step closer to clinching a playoff spot with the New Orleans Saints losing to the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football.

The Birds’ postseason chances improved from 60% to 68% with the Saints’ loss, according to FiveThirtyEight. (They would’ve dropped to 52% with a New Orleans win.)

Philly’s chances will officially go up to 100% with if the following clinching scenario plays out in Week 17:

• Eagles win their road game against the Washington Football Team
• Vikings lose their road game against the Green Bay Packers
• Saints lose their home game against the Carolina Panthers ... OR ... the San Francisco 49ers win their home game against the Houston Texans

Though this parlay is hardly guaranteed to happen, it’s quite possible.

The Eagles should be able to beat a Washington squad that just got demolished. But it might not be a cakewalk for Philly.

The Vikings seem unlikely to sweep their season series with the Packers, especially with Aaron Rodgers looking unstoppable.

The Saints looked pretty hopeless with Ian Book on Monday night. Maybe they’ll get Taysom Hill and/or Trevor Siemian back. Those guys aren’t exactly good either but they might be enough to beat an awful Panthers team. But maybe not! Carolina blew out New Orleans earlier in the year, for whatever that’s worth.

The 49ers are tough to gauge with Trey Lance potentially starting his second game. He didn’t look so hot in his first outing back in October, posting a 58.4 passer rating. The Texans are coming off a big win over the Los Angeles Chargers but do they really have two straight wins in them?

Needless to say, there will be scoreboard watching on Sunday. The Eagles can get things started with a win in their 1:00 PM ET kickoff. The Saints-Panthers and 49ers-Texans games take place in the late game window, so we’ll see if the Birds get at least one of two desirable outcomes there. Assuming they do, the Vikings-Packers game will be a must-watch affair on Sunday night. Rodgers can help ensure a Merry Clinchmas for Philly as we ring in the New Year. (That was pretty forced but, eh, go with it.) All while also helping the Packers stay ahead of the Cowboys for the No. 1 seed.

Can’t wait for this weekend.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

DIVISION LEADERS

1 - Green Bay Packers (12-3) — Clinched NFC North
2 - Dallas Cowboys (11-4) — Clinched NFC East
3 - Los Angeles Rams (11-4) — Clinched playoff berth
4 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-4) — Clinched NFC South

WILD CARD TEAMS

5 - Arizona Cardinals (10-5) — Clinched playoff berth
6 - San Francisco 49ers (8-7)
7 - Philadelphia Eagles (8-7)

...

IN THE HUNT

8 - New Orleans Saints (7-8)
9 - Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
10 - Atlanta Falcons (7-8)
11 - Washington Football Team (6-9)

ELIMINATED

12 - Carolina Panthers (5-10)
13 - Chicago Bears (5-10)
14 - Seattle Seahawks (5-10)
15 - New York Giants (4-11)
16 - Detroit Lions (2-12-1)

The downside to the Dolphins’ win, of course, is that it damages the positioning of the first-round pick that Miami owes to the Eagles in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Fish are currently set to make the postseason as the No. 7 seed. The good news for Philly is that Miami has two tough remaining games (on paper, at least) with a road matchup in Tennessee and a home tilt against New England.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

DIVISION LEADERS

1 - Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) — Clinched AFC West
2 - Tennessee Titans (10-5)
3 - Cincinnati Bengals (9-5)
4 - Buffalo Bills (9-6)

WILD CARD TEAMS

5 - Indianapolis Colts (9-6)
6 - New England Patriots (9-6)
7 - Miami Dolphins (8-7)

...

IN THE HUNT

8 - Baltimore Ravens (8-7)
9 - Los Angeles Chargers (8-7)
10 - Las Vegas Raiders (8-7)
11 - Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1)
12 - Cleveland Browns (7-8)
13 - Denver Broncos (7-8)

ELIMINATED

14 - New York Jets (4-11)
15 - Houston Texans (4-11)
16 - Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13)