Playoffs?! Could this 2021 Eagles team actually get in?

Yes, it is possible. After starting the year 2-5, the 2021 Philadelphia Eagles have a real shot at making the playoffs. Wasn’t this supposed to be a rebuilding year? The seven-team playoff structure will play heavily to Philadelphia’s advantage this year. With the easiest remaining schedule in the NFC, who can stop us? What teams could take those spots, and will they get it over the birds?

Los Angeles Rams

No overreactions here. The Rams simply put are a better team than the Eagles and will take one of the wildcard spots. The only reason they are not division champs is because the Cardinals are playing out of their mind this year. In any other division, they would be frontrunners. A well-coached team with talent in all three facets of the game is something the Eagles cannot yet boast while the Rams can. They are Super Bowl contenders, despite their last two disappointing losses.

Minnesota Vikings

I feel for Vikings fans. The Vikes are one of the most frustrating teams in the league right now. The talent is there, but the coaching hasn’t been right in years. It always seems to come down to one possession at the end of games with Minnesota. If they don’t make a run this year, it is time to blow up this mediocre team and start anew. So how do they stack up to Philly? It should be close. Minnesota does have a more difficult schedule to end the year (Green Bay and the Rams make up 3 of their last 8 games), they have bona fide superstars on their team. All it takes is Minnesota to win one of those tougher matchups to solidify their place. The Eagles have the Giants twice, WFT twice, the Jets and the battered Saints to go. All of these games should be wins for the Eagles, but one hiccup and they cede ground to the Vikings.

San Francisco 49ers

Finally, a team we have played this year! Another team that has everyone baffled. They just beat the fricken Rams! The niners are back right? I disagree. Before the year, the 49ers were playoff locks, but they have looked like anything but that this year. Their QB situation is bizarre. Their RB room is confusing as hell. They have looked off against bad teams. They let Colt McCoy and James Conner drop a 30 piece on them. Only 2 of their last 7 games were Ws. I am not by any means saying the Eagles have had no embarrassment this year, but the 49ers should be viewed in the same light as the Eagles. A team that reached the mountaintop a few years ago and now struggling to get back there. Although, the Eagles were able to lean on their Super Bowl talent to get back to the playoffs in the years after the Super Bowl in seasons where everything went wrong. Perhaps the talents of George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel can step up for this team and rally at the end of the year. I would say there is a 50/50 shot for the niners, but with the hot streak the Eagles have been on, it seems they are the odd men out.

Carolina Panthers

This one is interesting. Star RB Christian McCaffrey is back. And boy, without him Carolina was mediocre as hell. After starting the year 3-0, the panthers have crashed back down to Earth. Now at 5-5, they are still somehow in the mix. The defense last week shut down the red-hot Cardinals (albeit Colt McCoy was starting again) and they have realized that a shell of Cam Newton is still a better option than Sam Darnold. But they will not make it over the Eagles for a few reasons. For starters, Cam has a very limited sample size right now, and we have no idea if he really is back. Two, their last 4 games could all be losses (TB x2, Buffalo, and the Saints). And finally, we have the tiebreaker. It’s crazy to believe our come-from-behind 21-18 victory in week 5 could make a difference this year, but if we end up in the hunt with the Panthers, we easily could take a spot over them.

New Orleans Saints

And finally, the game we play today. On the complete opposite spectrum of the Vikings is the Saints. With all of their offensive name brand talent dealing with injuries, they are kept alive by the superb coaching of Sean Payton. Their playoff bid all starts today though as Trevor Siemian, Mark Ingram and their rag tag band of receivers come marching in to Philly to meet the blacked out birds. If they win today, they will have a believer in me. Everyone doubted them this offseason with the retirement of Drew Brees and drama surrounding Michael Thomas, but here they are, competitive in November football. If they lose today, the Eagles have a much greater chance then New Orleans of sneaking into the playoffs.

Verdict

As it stands right now, the Philadelphia Eagles can be a 6-7 seed. As long as nothing to drastic happens (which isn’t a guarantee in this 2021 season), we can expect to tune into the birds this January.