NFL playoff picture: What Eagles win over Commanders means for NFC standings in Week 16

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The Eagles travel to face the Commanders on Saturday. We break down what the game means for the NFL playoff picture in Week 16.

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Game result: The Eagles handled their business in Week 16, beating the Commanders 29-18 on Saturday. The Eagles struggled early, trailing 10-7 at halftime. They took the lead with 3:27 left in the third after a ten-minute drive and never trailed after that. They added a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to cruise to victory and improve to 10-5.

The win means the Eagles have officially clinched the NFC East and eliminated the Cowboys from playoff contention. They are in third place in the overall NFC standings and will remain there regardless of the outcome of Packers-Bears.

The Philadelphia Eagles play the first Saturday game of the 2025-26 NFL season as the bowl schedule opens up the NFL Saturday slate this week and next week. The Eagles travel to face the Washington Commanders in Week 16, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. ET.

The Eagles beat the Raiders last week, which snapped a three-game losing streak and improved their record to 9-5. The Commanders beat the Giants last week, which snapped their own eight-game losing streak. The Commanders announced quarterback Jayden Daniels would be shut down for the rest of the season, which means Marcus Mariota will get the start.

This the first matchup of the season between these two teams, with the second coming in Week 18. The Eagles are a 6.5-point road favorite in this game.

Philadelphia Eagles playoff picture

The Eagles have all but locked up a playoff spot thanks to the rest of the NFC East falling apart. The Cowboys are on a two-game losing streak that has dropped them to the verge of playoff elimination. The Eagles will clinch the NFC East this weekend if they beat the Commanders or the Cowboys lose at home against the Chargers. They head into the weekend with a 99% chance of clinching a playoff berth, per The Athletic’s playoff simulator, and also 99% chance of clinching the division title.

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 9-5
2. Dallas Cowboys: 6-7-1
3. Washington Commanders: 4-10
4. New York Giants: 2-12

No matter what happens this weekend (assuming no ties), the Eagles will end the weekend in third place in the NFC overall standings. They are a game back of the Bears, who face the Packers with first place in the NFC North on the line. If the Eagles lose, they remain at least a game up on Buccaneers or Panthers (pending that outcome). If the Eagles win, they’d be in third place behind the winner of Packers-Bears and the winner of Rams-Seahawks.

1. Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
2. Chicago Bears (10-4)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
5. Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
6. San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
7. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1)
8. Detroit Lions (8-6)
9. Carolina Panthers (7-7)
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)

Tiebreaker implications

This will likely have no tiebreaker impact. The Cowboys have a tie that removes tiebreakers from the equation barring an unexpected Eagles tie in the final three weeks. The Bears and Commanders both faced the Commanders, so a common games tiebreaker could theoretically come into play.

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