Philadelphia Eagles: Help needed to earn playoff berth
By Carl Naimoli
The Philadelphia Eagles need a win in their Week 17 matchup in Washington. They’ll also need some help from Chicago to earn a playoff spot.
The Philadelphia Eagles head into their final game of the 2018 regular season with the hopes that their season won’t be ending on Sunday. The Eagles face the division-rival Washington Redskins in Week 17 and need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
However, a win isn’t all the Eagles need to make the playoffs. Philadelphia also needs the Chicago Bears to defeat the Minnesota Vikings. If that happens, the Eagles will leapfrog the Vikings in the standings and secure the final playoff spot in the NFC.
The mood in Philadelphia is that the game against the Redskins is a mere formality. The Redskins have lost five out of their last six games. Plus, due to injuries to starting quarterback Alex Smith and backup Colt McCoy, the Eagles will be facing 32-year old journeyman Josh Johnson.
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The Eagles should be able to take advantage of the matchup against Johnson, who has had his share of ups and downs in his three appearances for Washington. But they cannot overlook the Redskins on Sunday.
On the other hand, the Eagles are going to need help from the 11-4 Chicago Bears in Week 17. The Bears head into Minnesota with not too much on the line. They have already clinched the NFC North title and are really just playing for playoff seeding.
If the Bears win and the Rams lose, then the Bears will move into the second seed in the NFC and earn a first-round bye. While that is good incentive to show up on Sunday, there is a chance that they could take their foot off the gas in the second half.
If they see that the Rams have a healthy lead on the 49ers, there’s a chance they could take their starters out of the game to avoid injury. With Minnesota knowing that they need a win to make the playoffs, they will be sure to put on their best performance.
Next. 20 Bold predictions for NFL Week 17. dark
In Week 17, Eagles fans will have their eyes on two different games. By 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, we’ll know if Nick Foles was able to pull off the comeback of a lifetime and get the Eagles in the playoffs. Or we’ll be reflecting on how the defending Super Bowl Champions didn’t do enough to get there. Either way it will be one exciting day of football.