Wild Card Matchups: Who will the Eagles face in the first round of the playoffs?

In case you missed it, the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff berth yesterday after defeating Washington and getting help from other teams.

In doing so, they have now locked in the 6th or 7th seed ahead of their final matchup with Dallas. So where will Jalen Hurts and co. be heading in the Wild Card round? I’ll attempt to break it all down for you.

Our friend Deniz Selman on Twitter has generously provided us with the playoff chart below:

---

Basically, there are 32 possible outcomes following the final slate of games in Week 18. If the Eagles want to avoid seeing the defending Super Bowl champions in Wild Card weekend, they’re far better off losing to Dallas on Saturday night.

If they defeat Dallas, Philadelphia would have an 87.5% chance of facing Tampa Bay in the first round. The only two scenarios in which an Eagles victory wouldn’t lead to a showdown with the Bucs:

(7) Eagles vs. (2) Arizona:

• Eagles beat Cowboys
• Saints beat Falcons
• Panthers beat Bucs
• Cardinals beat Seahawks
• 49ers beat Rams

(7) Eagles vs. (2) Rams:

• Eagles beat Cowboys
• Saints beat Falcons
• Panthers beat Bucs
• Seahawks beat Cardinals
• 49ers beat Rams

It’s safe to say that the Eagles will be resting most of their starters on Saturday.

The outcomes become a bit more varied if Dallas wins in Week 18. Philadelphia would only have a 50% chance of facing Tampa Bay if they fall to Dallas, a 25% chance of visiting Stafford and the Rams in LA, a 12.5% chance of meeting the Cardinals, and a 12.5% chance of going to Jerry World.

The scenarios are dizzying, but the Eagles are likely traveling to Tampa for Jalen Hurts’ first playoff start. Without Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette, Lavonte David and now Antonio Brown — the Bucs aren’t the same juggernaut they were last season.

They still have Tom Brady though, but the Eagles are no strangers to taking down the GOAT. Their run-heavy offense bodes well for the postseason and the teams with nothing to lose are often the most dangerous.

At least 25 other QBs are sacked on this play. pic.twitter.com/auryajL8W3

— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) January 3, 2022

Mandatory Credit: Greg Fiume | Getty Images