Eagles Clinch NFC East With One Under Radar Takeaway

The Philadelphia Eagles did everything they needed to do...

Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of the Philadelphia Eagles helmet before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles had a phenomenal day on Saturday, to say the least.

Philadelphia faced off against the Washington Commanders and although the game started off slowly for the franchise, it was able to turn it on in the second half. The Eagles scored 22 of their 29 points in the second half en route to their 29-18 win over the Commanders. With the win, the Eagles improved their record to 10-5 on the season and clinched the NFC East.

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In the aftermath of the win, much has been said about Philadelphia snapping the lengthy streak without a back-to-back NFC division winner. That makes sense. It was 21 years in the making.

The @Eagles are the first back-to-back NFC East champs in 21 years 🦅#ForTheCelly @budlight pic.twitter.com/K7Cy90RlQO

— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025

But that's not all. One thing that makes the win and playoff berth even more sweet is the fact that the Eagles knocked the Dallas Cowboys out of playoff contention in the process.

The Eagles had a great night

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NFC East helmets of the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine Experience at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the Eagles' win Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys now have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. pic.twitter.com/wvISCpEsxm

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 21, 2025

Any time you can win the division, it's nice. Any time you can knock out one of your biggest rivals, it's sweet. Doing both in one swoop, you can't ask for much more than that.

After taking down the Commanders, the Eagles are one of just three teams in the NFC to clinch a playoff berth and one of four teams in the league overall. Right now, the Denver Broncos are the only team in the AFC that has clinched a playoff berth. The Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams are the three teams in the NFC who have clinched a playoff berth.

The Eagles' offense has been taking heat all season, but they did their job on Saturday. The defense stepped up against Washington after a slow start and now the team is in. With all of the negative noise of the season, you'd think the Eagles would be on the outside looking in. But, they're heading to the playoffs and still have a chance at moving up in the standings depending on how the next few weeks go.

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