NFC playoff picture: Vikings tied for first after Eagles loss
The Minnesota Vikings are tied for first place in the NFC after the Washington Commanders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 32-21 on Monday night.
The Commanders benefitted from an unnecessary roughness penalty on Brandon Graham with 1:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Although the play has been hotly debated on social media, the Vikings will take it as they have now pulled even with the Eagles in the race for home-field advantage in the NFC.
The Eagles still own the tiebreaker over the Vikings by virtue of their Week 2 win in Philadelphia but the path to having the road to the Super Bowl run through Minneapolis just got easier in the NFC playoff picture.
1. Philadelphia (8-1)
The loss to the Commanders was shocking but the Eagles still have a favorable schedule down. Although they have two games against the New York Giants and a game with the Dallas Cowboys remaining, they'll face four teams with records currently at or above .500.
2. Vikings (8-1)
Vikings fans may still be in shock over their win in Buffalo, but the next three games will go a long way in deciding whether they can keep it up. The Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and New York Jets will visit U.S. Bank Stadium in the next three weeks and a Christmas Eve showdown with the New York Giants headline the final eight games.
3. Seattle (6-4)
While some may be asking if the Vikings are legit, they may be asking the same about Seattle. The good news is that they'll get Las Vegas, the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina coming out of the bye. The bad news? They'll have to host San Francisco, travel to Kansas City and host the Jets before wrapping up the season against the Rams.
4. Tampa Bay (5-5)
Will the NFC regret not killing Tom Brady when they had the chance? The Buccaneers don't look like a dominant team but back-to-back wins over Los Angeles and Seattle have them back to .500. Remember Tampa Bay was 7-5 before going into the bye in 2020 and emerged to run the table on their way to winning the Super Bowl.
5. New York Giants (7-2)
The other team celebrating at the Eagles loss Monday night was the Giants, who are chasing Philadelphia for first place in the NFC East. Brian Daboll could be battling Kevin O'Connell for the Coach of the Year Award, but he'll have his work cut out for him with two games against the Eagles among five division games remaining and a trip to U.S. Bank Stadium.
6. Dallas (6-3)
Last week's loss at Lambeau Field could prove costly in the NFC East race and it doesn't get easier with Sunday's game at Minnesota and a Thanksgiving game against the Giants. The Cowboys do have games against Indianapolis, Houston and Jacksonville after that but will play Philadelphia, Tennessee and Washington to close out the season.
7. 49ers (5-4)
The 49ers are loaded with offensive weapons but Kyle Shanahan is like the kid on Christmas who got the big present only to play with the box. Elijah Mitchell had more touches than Christian McCaffrey, and Deebo Samuel and George Kittle combined for just four targets in a win over the Chargers. That defense is still dangerous, however, and if the season ended today the Niners would face the Vikings in the wild card round.
Other teams in the hunt
8. Washington (5-5) – Will the Commanders stick with Taylor Heinicke when Carson Wentz is healthy?
9. Green Bay (4-6) – Christian Watson's breakout was a happy day in Titletown but will it continue against Tennessee and Philadelphia?
10. Atlanta (4-6) – Falcons beginning to fade from the pack after last week's loss to Carolina.
11. Arizona (4-6) – Kyler Murray's hamstring injury gives him plenty of time to play Call of Duty but hurts the Cardinals' playoff chances.
