The Philadelphia Eagles put together an impressive 14-3 season, which saw them finish as the No. 2 seed in the NFC. That has left them with a repeat of their Week 1 matchup as they will play the Green Bay Packers at home to kick off the NFC’s part of Wild Card Weekend.
If the Eagles do manage to beat the Packers for a second time in Wild Card Weekend, there are a few different teams they could face in the Divisional Round. Using the Pro Football Network NFL Playoff Predictor, let’s examine the potential opponents and complete playoff scenarios for the Eagles in the NFC bracket.
What Are the Philadelphia Eagles’ Playoff Scenarios?
As the No. 2 seed, there are three potential opponents for the Eagles in the Divisional Round. The only teams in the bracket they cannot face in the Divisional Round are the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions (and the Packers).
All scenarios and probabilities from here on in will be calculated using the assumption that the Eagles have beaten the Packers. If you want to calculate the likelihood of each scenario happening, including the Eagles’ odds of winning on Wild Card Weekend, we have them with a 59% chance of winning against Green Bay.
Additionally, for all scenarios outlined in this article, the key thing to remember is that the NFL reseeds its teams after every round. When each round of games is over, the lowest remaining seed is paired up to face the highest remaining seed, and the higher seed in every matchup hosts the game.
Based on PFN’s win probabilities, the Eagles’ most likely opponent is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Buccaneers favored to win over the Commanders, they would head to Lincoln Financial Field for a rematch with the Eagles, as they would be guaranteed to be at least the third-highest remaining seed.
There is a 54.9% chance that the Eagles play their Divisional Round game against Tampa Bay. The next most likely outcome based on our win probabilities is a 24.8% chance of hosting Minnesota, with a game against the Rams at 20.3%.
The Eagles cannot face the Lions because they can’t be the lowest remaining seed in the Divisional Round. Additionally, they cannot face the Commanders because Washington will always be the lowest seed if both they and the Eagles win.
For the Eagles to host the Vikings or Rams, they would need the Commanders to beat the Buccaneers. At that point, the Commanders would be guaranteed to be the lowest remaining seed, and then the Eagles would face the third-highest remaining seed. That will always be the winner of the game between the Vikings and the Rams if the Commanders win on Sunday Night Football.
Could the Eagles Host the NFC Championship Game?
The Eagles are in a relatively good position when it comes to having a chance of hosting the NFC Championship Game. However, they would need the help of another team in the Divisional Round. Philadelphia would need one of the Rams, Vikings, or Commanders to go into Detroit and beat the Lions, which is a tough ask.
If any of those teams were to beat Detroit in the Divisional Round, the Eagles would then be the highest-remaining seed in the NFC bracket, which would mean they would host the NFC Championship Game.