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On Sunday morning, the Philadelphia Eagles had the very best document within the NFL. By late Sunday night time, following their 33-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, they discovered themselves in fifth place within the NFC playoff order, the place the Eagles, Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers all stand at 10-3.
With 4 video games remaining, the 49ers — who beat the Cowboys and Eagles by a mixed 84-29 this season — maintain the highest spot within the NFC, which might earn them the one convention bye. The Cowboys maintain the highest spot within the NFC East, which at the moment provides them the No. 2 NFC seed, because of a tiebreaker. Nevertheless, in the event that they and the Eagles win their last 4 video games, Philadelphia would win the division for the second straight season by having a greater convention document.
The final time the NFC East had a repeat champion was 2003-04, when present Kansas Metropolis Chiefs coach Andy Reid was nonetheless teaching the Eagles.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan is not centered on playoff situations simply but.
“I am going to have a response when it’s the No. 1 spot, whether it is. That is when the season ends,” Shanahan stated. “Proper now, it does not imply a lot. It simply means the place you are at now, and I do know we cannot be [No. 1] if we do not deal with enterprise this week. In order that’s actually all we’re fearful about this week, after which we’ll transfer on to who we play after that.”
NFL Nation reporters Tim McManus, Nick Wagoner and Todd Archer take a look at the way it may all shake out for the NFC’s No. 1 seed:
San Francisco 49ers
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What should the 49ers do to assert home-field benefit?
There isn’t any thriller right here. The Niners must win their remaining 4 video games in an effort to assure the No. 1 seed and home-field benefit all through the NFC playoffs. By advantage of their dominant wins towards the Eagles and Cowboys, the Niners maintain the tiebreaker towards each of them. The one manner they’d fall from that spot is that if they lose and at the least considered one of Dallas or Philadelphia wins out.
ESPN’s Soccer Energy Index ranks the Niners’ remaining schedule because the Sixteenth-most tough within the league, which lands within the center floor between the robust slate awaiting the Cowboys and the straightforward one in entrance of the Eagles. All eyes will probably be on the Niners’ Christmas night time showdown towards the Baltimore Ravens in a sport that matches two of the FPI’s prime three Tremendous Bowl favorites.
After all, the Niners would not thoughts a bit cushion within the type of losses for Dallas and Philadelphia so they might have some wiggle room down the stretch.
What is the likeliest state of affairs for the 49ers?
At this level, it is tough — although not not possible — to ascertain the 49ers dropping to any of the groups left on their schedule (at Cardinals, vs. Ravens, at Commanders, vs. Rams). Barring vital damage points, they are going to be favored in every of these contests, and the Niners appear to be rounding into type. The FPI has the Niners because the favorites to wrap up the No. 1 seed with a 58.7% probability.
What’s extra, the 49ers below Shanahan have made a behavior of ending with a flourish. Since 2021, San Francisco is 12-2 in regular-season video games performed in December and January with a median margin of victory of 11.6 factors per sport. That successful share and scoring margin rank first within the NFL in that point.
How a lot does home-field benefit imply for the Niners?
Courting to coaching camp, the 49ers have not shied away from the significance of the No. 1 seed and home-field benefit. San Francisco has superior to the NFC Championship sport in three of the previous 4 seasons. The one time the Niners gained it and superior to the Tremendous Bowl was 2019, after they had the convention’s prime seed.
It may imply much more for the 49ers this season, contemplating how banged up they’re in the mean time, particularly on protection. They’ve 5 defensive starters coping with accidents now, and although none are thought-about long run, any further relaxation would come in useful. That is very true provided that the Niners will log the second-most miles by way of regular-season journey.
“Clearly, who would not need to play as the primary seed with home-field benefit?” quarterback Brock Purdy stated. “I feel all people within the league is aware of that. We all know that right here, and like I stated, we’re taking it in the future at a time and all the things will fall into place that should.” — Wagoner
Philadelphia Eagles
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What should the Eagles do to assert home-field benefit?
First, the Eagles have to drag out of this tailspin. They have been throttled by the Niners and Cowboys the previous two weeks, dropping by a mixed 43 factors, they usually have trailed at halftime in six consecutive video games. The protection is in disarray — permitting 109 factors (36.3 per sport) in its previous three contests, the third-most factors allowed by a reigning convention champion for the reason that 1970 merger — and Sunday marked the primary time the offense failed to attain a landing in 4 seasons with Jalen Hurts on the helm.
However the Eagles have the simplest remaining schedule within the NFL, based on the FPI, placing them in stable place to assert house discipline regardless of the current stumbles. They should care for their very own enterprise, beginning Monday night time on the Seattle Seahawks (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), and hope the Niners slip up.
“Adversity can do a few issues to you. It may possibly break you or it could actually make you manner higher,” coach Nick Sirianni stated. “And I do know that everyone that is in that locker room has been by s— of their lives and has made it so far. They’ve made it so far due to the s— they have been by. And in order that adversity has made a whole lot of us in that locker room the place we’re at the moment, and we have to keep in mind that.”
What is the likeliest state of affairs for the Eagles?
The FPI has the No. 2 seed because the almost definitely end result for Philadelphia (37.7%), adopted by the No. 1 seed (30.5%) and the No. 5 seed (29.8%). That demonstrates simply how up within the air the Eagles’ postseason prospects are; the percentages of getting home-field benefit all through are nearly equivalent to being on the highway throughout the playoffs.
They are going to doubtless be favored in all of their remaining regular-season video games — at Seahawks, vs. Giants, vs. Cardinals, at Giants — however given how they have been taking part in of late, an upset loss or two alongside the best way wouldn’t come as a shock. The sport towards the Seahawks looms massive. If the Eagles can regroup towards Seattle, that ought to present sufficient momentum to complete sturdy and safe one of many prime two seeds.
How a lot does home-field benefit imply for the Eagles?
Listed here are the house information for every group for the reason that begin of the 2022 season:
Cowboys: 15-1
Niners: 15-2
Eagles: 14-3
Being at house is not all the things — the 49ers proved that after they dismantled the Eagles at Philly in Week 13 — however it undoubtedly helps.
Lincoln Monetary Area is house to maybe the rowdiest fan base within the nation, and the depth will get turned up a number of notches throughout the postseason. The Eagles have been the highest seed within the NFC en route to every of their previous three Tremendous Bowl appearances, together with in 2017, after they gained all of it.
“To me, it is like a playoff sport from right here on out,” defensive deal with Fletcher Cox stated of the remaining schedule. “We acquired to battle to the top proper now.” — McManus
Dallas Cowboys
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What should the Cowboys do to assert home-field benefit?
Profitable won’t be sufficient.
The Cowboys lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with the 49ers. They might lose the conference-record tiebreaker with the Eagles. That Week 3 loss on the Cardinals will come again to chunk them. Except, after all, the Eagles and 49ers lose yet another sport.
Philadelphia’s hardest remaining opponent is Seattle. San Francisco has Baltimore this week and ends the 12 months with the Rams, who could possibly be within the playoff chase in Week 18. Oh, possibly this should not be buried: The Cowboys primarily cannot lose any of their last 4 video games (at Payments, at Dolphins, vs. Lions, at Commanders).
What is the likeliest state of affairs for the Cowboys?
It is trying like the identical as final season: End because the No. 5 seed and open the playoffs on the NFC South winner. In 2022, it meant a wild-card journey to face the 8-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This season, it could possibly be a sport at Atlanta, New Orleans or Tampa Bay, with that division unsettled. That would imply a visit to San Francisco within the divisional spherical for the second straight 12 months or a 3rd assembly with the Eagles, ought to they advance.
Three of their remaining opponents are within the playoff chase (Buffalo, Miami, Detroit). Let’s be sincere, the Cowboys would doubtless be heavy favorites towards whomever they play within the wild-card spherical.
Proprietor and common supervisor Jerry Jones would settle for that destiny.
“I do, as a result of that is what it’s. We simply cannot do something about that,” Jones stated. “However I prefer it when you possibly can go to the playoffs and haven’t got the wins that you just would possibly assume deserve playoff participation. I prefer it if I am one of many groups that does not have the wins, so I haven’t got an issue with the rule. Everyone knows what it’s once we begin.”
How a lot does home-field benefit imply for the Cowboys?
Hmm, how does “all the things” sound? The Cowboys have gained 15 straight regular-season video games at AT&T Stadium, their longest streak since they gained 18 in a row at Texas Stadium from 1979 to 1981.
“We need to play at house. I imply, why would not we?” coach Mike McCarthy stated. “The group [against Philadelphia], I do not assume I’ve ever heard AT&T Stadium that loud. That is an unbelievable benefit for us. The one solution to get to that time is to care for what’s in entrance of you.”
The Cowboys’ seven wins at house this season have been determined by a median of 24.4 factors. Per Elias Sports activities Bureau, the Cowboys are tied for the fourth-largest level margin in NFL historical past by seven house video games. However home-field benefit has not been sort to the Cowboys currently. They misplaced within the divisional rounds at house as the highest seed within the NFC in 2007 and 2016. — Archer
