There is a reason the top seed in each conference is so coveted. It gives the team who earned it an extra week off to rest and heal up. Former Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown used to remind me almost weekly when he would say, âNo one is healthy after week one in the NFL.â So you can imagine how âhealthyâ everyone is after 17 games. Â
Be that as it may, late December in the NFL does not produce a lot of philosophical debates inside team buildings. As long as playoff positioning is unsettled, teams usually pursue the highest seed available, and rest only becomes part of the equation once the bracket is locked. Thatâs where the Philadelphia Eagles stand right now, with just enough movement left at the top of the NFC to matter.
As of right now, the Seattle Seahawks sit atop the NFC Conference as the No. 1 seed, with the Chicago Bears holding down the No. 2 spot, and the Eagles positioned in third. The bye is effectively out of reach, but the No. 2 seed is not, even if the path to it is narrow.
Here’s the Deal
For the Eagles to capture the No. 2 seed, Philadelphia must win out, and Chicago must lose out or lose one game and tie the other. The Bears close out their season in San Francisco next Sunday night and then theyâre back at home to host the Detroit Lions in their season finale.
Unless you finish as the top seed and earn the lone bye, the postseason math is unchanged. Three playoff wins are required to reach the Super Bowl. What changes is where those games are played and itâs why capturing the No. 2 seed is so important. While it wonât reduce the workload, it could reshape the geography of the path.
The Birds experienced that advantage directly last postseason. As the No. 2 seed, they hosted the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round, the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round, and because the Washington Commanders beat the No. 1 seeded Detroit Lions, the Eagles slid into the top spot and they ended up hosting the NFC Championship Game before advancing to the Super Bowl. It was those three consecutive home playoff games that allowed the Birds to maintain weekly routines and communication continuity while opponents were forced to adjust under unfamiliar conditions.
Why the Higher Seed is so Important
Those differences show up in practical ways rather than abstractions. Visiting offenses are more likely to struggle with cadence and timing, which increases the likelihood of procedural penalties and disrupts protection calls and spacing. Road teams also tend to burn timeouts earlier to manage substitutions and communication, a detail that matters in postseason games where possessions are limited and end-of-half situations often swing outcomes.
The historical record reinforces that these edges are not incidental. Philadelphia is 21â11 all-time in home playoff games and 11â4 at Lincoln Financial Field since the stadium opened in 2003, a sample that spans multiple coaching staffs and varying rosters and suggests a consistent back yard edge. Hence the sobriquet âhome field advantageâ.
The contrast between the No. 2 and No. 3 seed sharpens when the projected playoff paths are laid out. The No. 2 seed typically opens with two home games and can retain home field in the NFC Championship Game if the top seed is eliminated. The No. 3 seed almost always introduces a road Divisional Round against the No. 2 seed, followed by a potential road conference title game against the No. 1 seed.
Why Eagles Nation Should Root for Seattle
That distinction matters even more given who currently occupies the top spot. Seattleâs rise to the No. 1 seed has been impressive, but it is being led by Sam Darnold, a quarterback whose postseason résumé is still unproven at this stage and it’s Christmas, I’m being nice when I say that. If youâre an Eagles fan may I suggest rooting very hard that Seattle maintains the top spot in the NFC.Â
The Seahawks control their own destiny in terms of seeding but so do the San Francisco 49ers who are coming off an impressive 48-27 win Monday night in Indianapolis versus the Phillip Rivers-led Colts. The 49ers host the Bears next weekend and then travel to Seattle to play their finale which could very well decide who gets the much coveted No. 1 seed in the NFC. Seattle holds a one game lead over San Fran and are in Charlotte next Sunday to face the Panthers in their penultimate regular season game before heading back to the great white north to host the Niners in their season finale.
If the Eagles were to secure the No. 2 seed, they would position themselves to host an NFC Championship Game should Seattle be the top seed and be eliminated before that round, a scenario that cannot be dismissed given how postseason football often unfolds. January has a way of exposing teams that have not yet navigated deep playoff runs at quarterback.
In that context, the No. 2 seed carries added weight. It is not simply about avoiding travel in the Divisional Round. It is about keeping open a realistic path to hosting the final game before the Super Bowl rather than flying across the country to play in it.Â
Eagles Must Take Care of Their Own Business
Having said all of that, the Eagles have to take care of their own business by first traveling to Buffalo next weekend and beating the Bills in Orchard Park. In Phillyâs season finale they are back at home to face the Commanders again.
Because the Eagles still have a defined route to the No. 2 seed, even one that requires help elsewhere, the final games of the regular season remain part of the playoff race rather than a separate phase. Positioning is not settled, which means the approach should not change. Starters should play and the remaining games should be approached as must-wins.Â
December is where postseason paths are shaped. The Eagles earned three straight home playoff games last season by handling the final weeks properly, and the benefit of that positioning carried through the NFC Championship Game. With the No. 2 seed still mathematically alive, however narrow the margin, the Birds cannot afford to treat the remaining games as anything other than part of that same pursuit.
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