Eagles need win and Vikings loss to keep playing
So it comes down to one final Sunday, and two of the best teams from only a season ago are vying for the one final berth remaining into the NFC playoffs.
One will get in, the other will go home.
These are the two games that matter most in the NFC: Eagles at Redskins and Bears at Vikings, and they will both kick off at 4:25 pm ET.
Last year, the Eagles and Vikings played in the NFC Championship Game, with the Eagles routing Minnesota to advance to Super Bowl LII.
Another game has ramifications, too, and that is the Los Angele Rams-San Francisco 49ers. If the Rams lose and Bears win, then L.A. falls to the No. 3 seed and would host the Eagles on wild-card weekend.
If the Rams and Bears both win, then Chicago would host the Eagles. If the Bears lose, then the Vikings win and they would visit Soldier Field in the opening round of the postseason.
The Eagles are a red-hot team right now, though, and Chicago head coach Matt Nagy may prefer to play the Vikings in the first round – again, assuming the Rams win.
The Eagles would head to Soldier Field winners of five of their last six games, with an air of confidence that they can repeat as Super Bowl champions because Nick Foles is once again making December magic.
Not counting Foles’ rookie season of 2012, he is 11-4 in his career as a starter from Dec. 1 on, counting playoffs.
The temptation for players and coaches to do some scoreboard watching during the game will be there, but the Eagles are trying to focus on the task at hand.
“The biggest thing is we have to take care of business,” said defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. “We have a game to play and obviously somebody might say what’s happening, but at the end of the day we have to win. We have to win this game right here in order to get into the postseason and that’s what’s really most important to this locker room right now.”
SERIES HISTORY: 167th regular-season meeting. Redskins lead series, 85-76-5. The Eagles are looking to sweep Washington for the second straight year. They won the first meeting, 28-13 on Dec. 3 at Lincoln Financial Field, with Carson Wentz throwing for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Last year, the Eagles won 30-17 at FedExField in the season opener then won the rematch, 34-24, at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday Night Football on Oct. 23.
