Here's How Eagles Make Playoffs After Sunday's Win Against Texans

After another improbable win on Sunday, the Birds find themselves on the brink of the playoffs, and there's just one thing that stands in their way.

Before a boisterous holiday crowd at Lincoln Financial Field in the final Eagles home game of the year, the Birds outlasted a tough Texans team that came into the game 10-4 and fighting for the top seed in the AFC. Late season hero Nick Foles had a clutch game, throwing for 471 yards and four touchdowns, with Zach Ertz grabbing two of them, en route to the 32-30 victory.

Sunday's competition vastly simplified the playoff picture. The Panthers continued their losing ways and eliminated themselves, falling to 6-9. The Redskins also eliminated themselves, falling to 7-8 (though they can still play spoilers when they face the Eagles next week). The Cowboys and Seahawks both won and clinched their playoff spots, as both improved to 9-6. That also eliminated the Eagles from the NFC East race.

But most consequentially, the Vikings won again, moving to 8-6-1. After last week's complex web of scenarios played themselves out this week, things are now pretty straightforward. If the Eagles win and the Vikings lose, the Eagles will go to the playoffs as the second Wild Card.

The Eagles' fate is now completely tied to that of Minnesota. If there's any other outcome other than the Eagles winning and the Vikings losing, it will be the Vikings who make the playoffs. A Vikings win would put them at 9-6-1.

It turns out now that the nailbiter back in Week 5 was tremendously important. That's the game that the Eagles lost to the Vikings at the Linc, 23-21, coming up short after a furious rally for 15 points in the 4th quarter. Had the Birds won that game back on Oct. 7, they would own the tiebreaker over the Vikings, and would also still be tied with the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East.

It's not the first time the Vikings will be the primary adversary of the Birds as they try to advance. The underdogs infamously blew out Minnesota in the NFC Championship game last year en route to their Super Bowl victory.

The good news for the Birds: the Vikings do have the harder game next week, as they'll face off against the division champion Chicago Bears next Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles, of course, will head down to Washington to face off against the Redskins. They'll be led again by Super Bowl hero Nick Foles, the architect behind the team's huge wins the last few weeks against the playoff bound Rams and Texans.

Both the Eagles and Vikings games are on Sunday, Dec. 30, and due to their importance, the NFL moved up the Vikings game to 4:25 p.m., the exact same time as the Eagles and Redskins matchup.

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