Should Eagles' Fans Be Cheering For Dallas This Weekend?
With just two weeks to go in the 2023 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles have already clinched a playoff spot. However, more is still on the line for the defending NFC Champions. Currently, the Eagles hold the second seed in the conference, but the highly anticipated Week 17 Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions matchup has major playoff implications.
What The Game Means For The Eagles
The San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions all have identical 11-4 records. Dallas is just behind at 10-5. The 49ers have already beaten the Eagles and Cowboys, so they will hold tiebreakers when it comes to who gets the coveted number one seed and first round bye.
The Cowboys losing this weekend is both good and bad for the Eagles. A Dallas loss and an Eagles win on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, would give Philly the NFC East title and at least one guaranteed home playoff game. If the Eagles are not able to defeat the Cardinals in Week 17, they would still have one more shot in Week 18 against the New York Giants. Dallas losing is certainly the less stressful way in the playoffs, however, it could mean the difference between first, second, and third seed in the conference.
A Dallas Cowboys victory over the Lions, would put them at 11 wins, matching the Eagles win total going into the weekend. This would put pressure on Philly to win their final two games to ensure the division title and maybe more. Additionally, a Detroit loss to Dallas and an Eagles win on Sunday, will allow Philly stay ahead of Detroit as well as Dallas in playoff seeding. Moreover, if the San Francisco 49ers lost one of their remaining games and the Eagles win out, Philadelphia could take the number one seed in the conference. This would give the Eagles a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Overall, there is so much more potential if the Cowboys are able to hold off the Lions. It would force the Eagles who lost three straight games before their Christmas Day victory to win out and get momentum heading into the postseason. Plus, getting the first or second seed in the playoffs would give them an advantage compared to if they were the third seed. A lot has to happen, but the last two weeks could be very interesting.
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