The Philadelphia Eagles came out of the bye week with a vengeance and took a firm grip on the NFC. But then they dropped three straight contests to not only lose control of the conference, but to put their postseason hopes in jeopardy and open the window for the Dallas Cowboys.
In Week 15, however, Nick Sirianni's group found its rhythm again. They hosted the lowly 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. They throttled them in what felt like a preseason game, with none of the Eagles' premier players even taking the field for a majority of the fourth quarter.
Then, things got even sweeter on Sunday Night Football when the Cowboys hosted the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium. Dallas' defense crumbled once again in primetime, as they lost 34-26 at home to their NFC North foe.
Eagles clinch playoff berth with one win or one Cowboys loss
Heading into the final three weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Eagles sit atop the NFC East at 9-5. In second place is the Cowboys, who currently own a 6-7-1 record, thanks to a Week 4 tie against the Green Bay Packers.
While Dallas is still technically alive, and Philadelphia could still theoretically miss the playoffs, it's not likely. The Eagles' playoff clinching scenario is now simple after Week 15: win one of the next three games, and they're in. Or, if Dallas loses one of its next three games, the Eagles are in as well.
Thankfully, Philly still has two games on the docket against the 4-10 Washington Commanders, three of whose wins have come against the 2-12 New York Giants and now 2-12 Raiders. The Eagles will also play a tough road matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Dallas has a relatively easy path, but it still has to play the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16. Then, they'll get a reprieve, playing the Commanders and Giants to finish out the season. There is no room for error for Brian Schottenheimer's team, and even then, it might not be enough.
Again, the Cowboys could run the table and finish 9-7-1, but if the Eagles win just one game over the next three weeks, Dallas will be sitting on the couch come January. They don't have a route to a Wild Card spot, so they are banking on an implosion in Philadelphia to make the postseason.
Read more: Nick Sirianni couldn't stop gushing over Eagles' defense after win vs. Raiders
Yes, the Eagles played the Raiders on Sunday, but they looked like a team that found its mojo again. When spirits are high in Philadelphia, and everything is clicking, it's hard to imagine anyone stopping them. Even harder to see them not winning a single game in three weeks against inferior foes.