The Philadelphia Eagles are defending Super Bowl champions and gearing up for a playoff run to defend their title â who they play in the postseason and how that goes is still very much up in the air headed into their Week 18 regular season finale against the Washington Commanders.
The Eagles are 11-5, on a 3-game winning streak and have already clinched the NFC East Division title and a home playoff game. The Commanders are 4-12 and were eliminated from playoff contention following a Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Key details (quick answers)
- Wild Card Weekend: January 10-12
- Eagles seed: The Eagles are currently the NFC’s No. 3 seed and could move up to the No. 2 seed
- Why it matters: There are 3 different opponents the Eagles could possibly face in the opening round depending how Week 18 shakes out
- Official game times: expected late Sunday night once the bracket is fully set
Eagles’ Next Opponent: Who Will Philadelphia Play in the NFL Playoffs?
The Eagles’ next opponent hinges on if they stay the No. 3 seed or move up to the No. 2 seed.
If Philadelphia remains the No. 3 seed, they will likely host the San Francisco 49ers next weekend as long as the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams are 14-point favorites in that game.
If the Cardinals somehow pull off the upset, the Eagles would host the Rams. If the Eagles defeat the Commanders and the Chicago Bears lose to the Detroit Lions, the Eagles would leap up to the No. 2 seed and host the Green Bay Packers next weekend.
NFL Playoff Schedule: Wild Card Round Begins Saturday, Jan. 10
The NFL will play its Wild Card Weekend from January 10-12, the Divisional Round will be January 17-18 and conference championship games will be on January 25.
All of the teams for the AFC and NFC won’t be determined until late Sunday night after the Baltimore Ravens play the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that will determine the AFC North Division champion and the AFC’s final playoff spot.
The time slots for the Wild Card round are essentially locked in, however, so you can start setting up your food delivery orders now:
- Sat., Jan. 10: 4:30 p.m. ET, 8:15 p.m. ET
- Sun., Jan. 11: 1 p.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. ET, 8:15 p.m. ET
- Mon., Jan. 12: 8:15 p.m. ET
Eagles Won’t Play Starters vs. Commanders
The majority of the Eagles’ starters won’t be on the field against the Commanders, with head coach Nick Sirianni deciding with one home playoff game already locked in place it was more important to get another week of rest for his starters instead of try to make a play for a No. 2 seed that could be out of their hands anyways.
It’s the same tactic the Eagles used last season in the regular-season finale and it led to a win over the New York Giants.
The biggest thing to watch in Week 18 for the Eagles will be how backup quarterback Tanner McKee plays in his second career start. He has looked sharp whenever he’s come on in place of starter and reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts and could very well be trade bait for a team looking for a starting quarterback next season.
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