Eagles fans were unable to watch their team take to the field on Sunday after some messy decision making by the NFL that led to the postponement of the matchup against Washington. That game will now be played tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean Sunday’s slate was without heavy implications for Philadelphia. Here’s all you need to know.
The Draft picks
The Eagles went into Sunday holding pick 10 (MIA), 11, and 23 (IND). They come out holding picks 10, 14, and 23. Tua Turndaballover almost gifted the New York Jets a win and with it, the chance of a second top-10 pick for the Eagles. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be the case.
The game was as chaotic as you’d expect it to be and it somehow involved Duke Johnson not only getting the reps over Myles Gaskin, but breaking off a 100-yard outing. Tua was able to eek out a huge 75-yard drive and cap it with an 11-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker to seal the win, as well as what is now a six-game winning streak for Miami. That’s not a sentence Eagles fans will want to read.
Having said that, the fact that Howie is holding three first-round picks is a huge win in its own right. Fans were teased early in the season as the Colts struggled and Dolphins tumbled, but three mid-late picks wouldn’t exactly be the worst spot to be in.
Playoff implications
Buckle up…
Here’s how the NFC Wildcard race looks on this chilly Monday morning:
San Francisco 8-6 (W)
New Orleans 7-7 (W)
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Washington 6-7 (TUE)
Philadelphia 6-7 (TUE)
Minesota 6-7 (MON)
Atlanta 6-8 (L)
Seattle 5-8 (TUE)
Hands up if you expected the New Orleans Saints to not only beat the Bucs, but completely shut them out. Somehow, some way, Sean Payton’s men pulled off the unthinkable. Maybe they’re riding the momentum of Payton being featured in his own documentary? The Niners took care of business against the Falcons which pushed them one step further ahead in the Wildcard race and really forces a fatal four way between the Saints and the three 6-7 teams.
Making life a little more complicated for the Eagles is how the remaining slate for New Orleans looks. They face the Dolphins next week, so a Miami win will help them massively while further tanking their draft pick, while a loss would obviously do the inverse. They then face the Panthers and Falcons, two teams formerly in the playoff race and probably just sat on the outside looking in.
If New Orleans win all three remaining games, the Eagles have to win three of their remaining four to tie things up and advance on the basis that they beat the Saints earlier in the year, continuing to live rent free by humiliating the vaunted rush defense they trot out. It’s nice to know that even if the Saints win out, the Eagles only need to win 3/4 (maybe a loss to the Cowboys while sweeping the other NFC East teams) to snatch it at the last second.
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
