SNF result: The Bears lost to the 49ers, which drops them into a tie with the Eagles. Chicago holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, but Philadelphia can still claim the No. 2 seed if they beat the Commanders in Week 18 and the Bears lose to the Lions.
NFL playoff picture: What Eagles win over Bills means for NFC, AFC standings in Week 17
The Eagles face the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday. We break down what the game means for the NFL playoff picture in Week 17.
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Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Sunday 4 p.m. window update: It wasn’t pretty, but the Eagles escaped Buffalo with a win over the Bills after a goal line stand. The Bills loss means the Patriots are the AFC East champions. The Bills slip to the No. 7 seed heading into Week 18 due to the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Texans and the common games tiebreaker against the Chargers.
The Eagles had already clinched the NFC East, and with the win they remain in the No. 3 spot. If the Bears lose on Sunday Night Football, the Eagles would move into a tie with Chicago and still have a shot to earn the No. 2 seed if they win next week and the Bears lose. Chicago holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Philadelphia.
1 p.m. window update: The Patriots beat the Jets, which means the Bills need them to lose their finale against the Dolphins to have a chance at the AFC East title. However, with the Patriots winning, the Bills cannot afford a loss in Week 17 or 18.
The Eagles saw a small change to their situation with the 1 p.m. window. They could have slipped to the No. 4 seed if the Panthers won out, but Carolina lost to Seattle. That means the Eagles are going to be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the 2026 NFL Playoffs. If they beat the Bills they remain alive for the No. 2 seed. If they lose, they will be locked into the No. 3 seed.
Two teams that have already clinched playoff spots will meet today when the Buffalo Bills host the Philadelphia Eagles.
But both teams have their sights set on bigger things here in Week 17.
Let’s dive into what this game means for both teams when it comes to the NFL playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles playoff picture
The Eagles have already clinched a playoff spot, and the NFC East title.
Right now Philadelphia sits third in the NFC standings with a 10-5 record, one game behind the Chicago Bears. However, the Eagles can improve to No. 2 when all is said and done. With wins in their final two games, and two losses by the Bears, the Eagles will move into the No. 2 spot in the NFC standings.
Philadelphia could also slide down to the No. 4 spot. If the Eagles lose their final two games, and the Carolina Panthers win their final two games, then the Eagles and the Panthers would finish the season with matching 10-7 records. They would then have matching 8-4 records in their NFC games, and since they did not play each other this season, the tiebreaker would move next to common games.
This year the Eagles and Panthers both played the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Packers, and Rams. In this scenario the Panthers would beat the Buccaneers in Week 18, improving to 5-0 in those games.
However, the Eagles’ loss to the Cowboys earlier this season would see them finish 4-1 in those common games, dropping Philadelphia to No. 4.
Buffalo Bills playoff picture
The Buffalo Bills have already clinched a playoff spot, and if the playoffs began today they would be the No. 6 seed in the AFC.
However, Buffalo is still alive in the race for the AFC East title against the New England Patriots. With wins in their final two games, and one New England loss (to either the New York Jets in Week 17 or the Miami Dolphins in Week 18), the Bills are AFC East champions.
Buffalo can also win the division if they lose to the Eagles this weekend or to the Jets in Week 18, provided the Patriots drop their final two games.
On the flip side of that coin, the Bills are eliminated from AFC East title contention if they lose to the Eagles, and the Patriots win or tie against the Jets. Buffalo is also eliminated in the AFC East race if they tie against the Eagles, and the Patriots win against the Jets.
In addition, the Bills are also alive for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they can be eliminated in that chase this weekend. If they lose or tie against the Eagles, Buffalo cannot be the No. 1 seed.
Tiebreaker implications
There are no direct tiebreaker implications between the Eagles and the Bills in this game, only those tiebreaker scenarios outlined above.
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