The NFC East is the worst division in the NFL, but it will still have a playoff team — either the Eagles or the Cowboys — when the 2019 regular season is all said and done in a week.
The Eagles (8-7) got the upper hand by beating the Cowboys (7-8) in Week 16, avenging their loss in Dallas earlier this season to go up a full game. The Cowboys would have won the division by sweeping the season series, but now the Eagles have complete control in Week 17.
NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE:
Updated AFC, NFC standings for Week 16
The winner of the NFC East will get into playoffs with the No. 4 seed and host a wild-card game, most likely against the tough runner-up in the NFC West, either the 49ers or the Seahawks.
Here's a breakdown of how the Eagles or Cowboys can win a second division title in three seasons.
How the Eagles or Cowboys win the NFC East
The Eagles still need to beat the Giants (4-11) in New York in Week 17 to win the division — or hope the Cowboys lose to the Redskins (3-12) in Dallas.
The Cowboys would win the division with a win over the Redskins and an Eagles loss to the Giants. Dallas holds the tiebreaker if both teams finish 8-8 because it would have a superior division record, 4-1 vs. 3-2 for Philadelphia.
Say the Eagles tie the Giants after going into overtime with them in Week 14: 8-7-1 works for Philly, too, because Dallas can only reach 8-8.
Say the Eagles lose to the Giants and the Cowboys tie the Redskins: Philadelphia is still the NFC East champion in that scenario at 8-8 vs. Dallas going 7-8-1.
The Giants are definitely a tough opponent for the Eagles and will be motivated to play spoiler against their rivals, but the Redskins will play with similar sentiments against the Cowboys.
The bottom line: One underachieving NFC East playoff team from last season will end 2019 on a disappointing note, with the other getting new life in the NFC playoffs.
