Eagles and Cowboys Week 17 results may impact Packers playoff hopes
By Paul Bretl
By now, I’m sure everyone is well-versed in what the Green Bay Packers need to happen in order to make the playoffs.
The easiest path to the playoffs is going to include Green Bay winning their final two games, along with either one loss from Washington or two losses from the New York Giants. This week the Commanders take on Cleveland at home while the Giants face Indianapolis at home, but there are two other games that should have your attention as well for that ‘just in case’ scenario.
The first is between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints, and the other is the Dallas Cowboys against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night. The reason that these games matter for the Packers is because the Eagles play New York in Week 18, and the Cowboys face Washington.
As it currently stands, the Eagles and Cowboys have both clinched playoff spots, but the NFC East, along with the one seed in the NFC, are still up for grabs. In order for Dallas to win the division, they have to win their final two games, along with the Eagles losing both of theirs. This would give both teams the same record, but the Cowboys would win the tiebreaker with the better divisional record.
However, if the Eagles win this week, they will secure the NFC East, regardless of what the Cowboys do. Also, if Dallas loses this week, Philadelphia wins the division regardless of what the Cowboys’ outcome is.
If either scenario takes place where the Eagles clinch the division, then there may be nothing for either team to play for in Week 18, which could impact Green Bay. With a win, Philadelphia locks up the division and the NFC’s top seed, giving them really nothing to play for against New York, which could mean they rest their starters. Dallas, meanwhile, will be firmly cemented into the five seed if they don’t win the division and have nothing to gain in Week 18 with a win or a loss if that outcome has been decided–which, like the Eagles, could mean they rest their starters against Washington.
So depending on what happens this week with Washington and New York, the Packers’ playoff fate could come down to how either team fares against the Eagles and Cowboys’ backups. Of course, in a perfect scenario, both Philadelphia and Dallas have something to play for that final week.
If we want to further complicate things, an Eagles’ loss and a Cowboys’ loss still gets Philadelphia the division but not the one seed, as long as San Francisco beats Las Vegas, which would keep them in the running for that top spot and give the Eagles something to play for that last game. Minnesota would then presumably be eliminated from one-seed contention with what is hopefully a loss to Green Bay. So there you go, the 49ers vs. the Raiders is another game to keep your eyes on.
Perhaps this is all a moot point because if Washington loses to Cleveland this week, nothing that I just described matters. At that point, the Packers will control their own destiny. However, it’s never a bad idea to have a contingent plan in place, just in case the Packers still require some help come Week 18.