Eagles Playoff Picture Takes Hit After Costly Chargers Loss

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The Philadelphia Eagles didn't have the night they wanted to have on Monday.
Philadelphia faced off against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football and ended up losing its third straight contest, 22-19 in overtime. The Chargers scored first in overtime with a field goal and then as the Eagles drove down the field, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts tossed his fourth interception of the game to secure the loss.
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Overall, it wasn't a great showing by the Eagles and it will have an impact on the NFC playoff picture. The Eagles entered the contest with the No. 3 seed in the conference. That is still the case after the loss, but that doesn't tell the entire story. The Eagles were 8-4 still with a shot to move up and catch either the Green Bay Packers or Los Angeles Rams for the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, with a little bit of help.
The Eagles need some help

Now, those odds seemingly are much more difficult. The Rams are 10-3. The Packers are 9-3-1. Philadelphia has a tiebreaker over both opponents, but for it to move up the standings, it would need to make up two games on each team.
Essentially, for the Eagles to move up in the standings, they need the Rams or the Packers to suffer two more losses than the Eagles do over the next four games. If the Eagles went 4-0 and the Packers went 2-2, for example, then Philadelphia would have a 12-5 record with the Packers behind at 11-5-1. If the Eagles went 4-0 and the Rams went 2-2, Philadelphia would have a 12-5 record and so would the Rams, which then the Eagles would have a tiebreaker.
If the Eagles were to go 3-1, they would need the Packers or Rams to go 1-3 to move up. No matter how you shake it, the Eagles need the Packers or Rams to suffer two more losses than Philadelphia does in order to move up.
The odds aren't great. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the No. 4 seed at 7-6. Plus, the Eagles have a tiebreaker there too. It would be tough to drop down without a lot going Tampa Bay's way. So, right now, the most likely playoff spot for the Eagles would be the No. 3 seed.

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also has an MBA from Brandeis University. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scottneville21@gmail.com
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