Aim for Top NFC Seeds in Playoff Push

Aim for Top NFC Seeds in Playoff Push

Here’s how the script works for the Eagles as they look to the highest possible seed in the NFC postseason: A Dallas win against Detroit on Saturday night would help the Eagles, as would Washington beating San Francisco on Sunday. Philadelphia, San Francisco and Detroit all have 11-4 records, and the 49ers currently have the No. 1 seed in the first-place race, a bye week in the postseason and home-field advantage.

Of course, everything could change in this wild and uncertain conference playoff picture. andquot;Weand#039;re just worried about taking care of what we can control, and that means having a great day of practice and going out on Sunday and beating the Cardinals, safety Reed Blankenship said.

All these other things, I don’t think anyone thinks about it. That is for the fans and the media to discuss.andquot; It sure is and sure everything is. And Blankenship is right: The Eagles should just focus on this Sunday and a 3-12 game against the Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field, followed by a road contest against the Giants to close out the regular season.

If the Eagles get their act together, they could win the NFC East for the second straight season — the NFC East hasn’t had a repeat winner since the Eagles did it from 2001-04 — and that’s when it gets interesting. A Dallas win over Detroit on Saturday night would give the Eagles the inside edge of the No. 2 seed in the conference, and a Washington win over San Francisco on Sunday would put the Eagles within one win of the coveted No. 1 seed. For Eagles fans, it begs the question: Can you beat the Cowboys on Saturday night? And then the commanders vent their anger on Sunday? I do it this way, said Merrill Reese in his 47th season as the radio voice of the Eagles. andquot;I’m not rooting for the Cowboys to win. I can’t do it. I’m just going to root for the Lions to lose this game.andquot; Totally reasonable.

Now, of course, the first order of business is for the Eagles to defend their turf and win the NFC East, and wins by the Cardinals and Giants will accomplish that. So anyone arguing that it’s more important for Dallas to lose to give the Eagles a better chance in the NFC East got it.

However, if you believe the Eagles should win their final two games of the regular season, the seed goal needs to be higher and point to No. 2 and even No. 1 in the conference. andquot;We can only control what we do, so that’s what we focus on,andquot; defensive tackle Takla Fletcher Cox said. and#039; it’s always been about doing your own thing, which means going out and winning. andquot;But we can’t control that and whatever happens, happens.andquot;