NFC Playoff Picture: Eagles lose in Dallas, No. 1 seed taken by the Rams

The Eagles lost to the Cowboys on Sunday and handed away the top seed in the NFC like it was a yard sale item.

The Rams actually did what functional football teams do when they go up 21 to 0 by continuing to put points on the board until the final whistle.

Strange concept, I know.

Eagles blow 21-point lead in Dallas, putting entire offensive staff on the hot seat

Meanwhile the Eagles went up 21-0 and immediately stopped playing offense like the game was over at halftime.

The result is the Rams taking over first place in the NFC and the Eagles all of the sudden needing a little help to get back on track as they welcome the Chicago Bears to South Philly on Black Friday.

Six weeks left, one game to make up, and zero trust in the offense to help do it. Let’s take a look at the mess.

The Eagles Now Need Help

The Eagles sit at 8-3. The Rams sit at 9-2.

The Birds need the Rams to drop one while handling their own business, which is a hilarious phrase to type about an offense that spent the entire second half in Arlington punting, fumbling, and committing fourteen penalties like they were getting paid by the flag but here we go anyway.

Eagles blow a 21-point lead, hand the Cowboys dumbest win of the season

Eagles Remaining Schedule

• Week 13: vs Bears
• Week 14: at Chargers
• Week 15: vs Raiders
• Week 16: at Commanders
• Week 17: at Bills
• Week 18: vs Commanders

This is not a brutal schedule. It is also not a “show up and win by accident” schedule, especially for a team that just blew a three touchdown lead in twenty minutes. The Bears game is suddenly a massive fork in the road. Lose that one and you can forget the bye entirely.

Rams Remaining Schedule

• Week 13: at Panthers
• Week 14: at Cardinals
• Week 15: vs Lions
• Week 16: at Seahawks
• Week 17: at Falcons
• Week 18: vs Cardinals

The Rams can absolutely slip. They could also win five of these without sweating. The Lions and Seahawks back to back is the only stretch where you feel any real hope. The Cardinals twice in December feels like a personal attack.

Strength of schedule? Eagles have the ninth easiest. Rams have the twelfth easiest. So it’s basically even.

NFC Playoff Picture

1) Rams (9-2)
Currently cruising. Currently stable. Must be nice.

2) Eagles (8-3)
Still ahead of the Bears because of conference record. That changes fast if they screw around Friday.

3) Bears (8-3)
Trying to pretend they’re not fraudulent. We’ll see.

4) Buccaneers (6-5)
Somehow leading the NFC South, which shouldn’t count.

Wild Cards
5) Seahawks (8-3)
6) Packers (7-3-1)
7) 49ers (7-3)*
*Pending Monday Night Football

In the Hunt
8) Lions (7-4)
9) Panthers (6-5)*
10) Cowboys (5-5-1)
*Pending MNF

The Funeral Row: Falcons, Vikings, Cardinals, Commanders, Saints, Giants. No analysis needed. You know what this is.

The Eagles still have a path to the No. 1 seed.

They just no longer hold the map. They need to beat Chicago, stop committing fourteen penalties a game, rediscover the concept of scoring in the second half, and pray the Rams aren’t invincible down the stretch.

If the meltdown in Dallas wakes this team up, great. If it doesn’t, then the road to the Super Bowl runs through Los Angeles and the Eagles will only have themselves to blame.

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