The sixteenth Sunday of the 2025 NFL regular season is here!
Let’s run through a Philadelphia Eagles-focused rooting guide for all of the remaining Week 16 games.
NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
Here’s a look at the current NFC playoff picture, via ESPN:
And here’s a look at the updated clinching scenarios via the great Deniz Selman:
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS at CAROLINA PANTHERS: The Eagles will not be able to fall to the No. 4 seed if the Panthers lose or tie. Root for the Bucs.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS at DETROIT LIONS: The Lions winning this game helps to keep them especially motivated to beat the Chicago Bears in Week 18. The Eagles need the Bears to lose their last two games to have a chance at the No. 2 seed. Root for the Lions.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at BALTIMORE RAVENS: Wait, how does this factor in here? Well, Deniz points out that the combination of a Steelers loss to the Lions PLUS a Ravens win over the Pats guarantees that Pittsburgh and Baltimore will have to duke it out for the AFC North in Week 18. And that scenario could encourage the Ravens to rest their starters in a meaningless Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers. The Eagles might need the Packers to lose at least one more game. Root for the Patriots.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: The Eagles’ path to the No. 1 seed is a pipe dream but might as well root for it to stay alive as long as possible. If the 49ers win on Monday night, the dream is officially dead. Root for the Colts.
DRAFT PICK CONSIDERATIONS
Here’s the current 2026 NFL Draft order for non-playoff teams, via Tankathon:
NEW YORK JETS at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Thanks to last year’s Haason Reddick trade, the Eagles own the Jets’ third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The more the Jets lose, the more favorable the pick will be for the Birds. Root for the Saints.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS at NEW YORK GIANTS: The Eagles don’t want to see the Giants get the the No. 1 overall pick, which New York can potentially trade for a big haul in return. Root for the Giants.
BUFFALO BILLS at CLEVELAND BROWNS: The Eagles want the Jets to move ahead of the Browns in the third round of the draft order … but it’s more important for the Browns to move ahead of the Giants at the very top of the draft. Root for the Bills.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS at DALLAS COWBOYS: I love the idea of the Cowboys winning a meaningless game the day after being eliminated from playoff contention by an Eagles win. Go ruin your draft position, Dallas! Especially important for the Cowboys to win this game because the Eagles will be rooting against them over the next two weeks. Need the Commanders and Giants to ruin their draft positioning, too. Root for the Cowboys.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS at TENNESSEE TITANS: The Eagles want to see the Titans move ahead of the Giants in the draft order. Root for the Chiefs.
CINCINNATI BENGALS at MIAMI DOLPHINS: Cincy has a chance to move ahead of Washington in the draft order with more losses. Root for the Dolphins.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS at DENVER BRONCOS: The Jags have a chance at the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture by winning their final three games. The Eagles don’t want to see Jacksonville resting their starters in Week 18 against the Titans. The Eagles want the Titans to keep losing to have a chance to move ahead of the Giants in the draft order. Root for the Jaguars.
ATLANTA FALCONS at ARIZONA CARDINALS: The Eagles want the Cardinals to stay ahead of Washington in the draft order. Also, fun to see Jonathan Gannon lose more. Root for the Falcons.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS at HOUSTON TEXANS: The Eagles want to see the Raiders move ahead of the Giants in the draft order. Root for the Texans.
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