NFL fans got early and late Christmas gifts this season, with a full slate of games on Christmas Eve and more action on Christmas Day.
For one of the NFC East teams, Christmas Eve brought coal in their stockings, while two of the teams kept even by both losing in dramatic fashion.
Only two weeks remain in the season, and the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys have already secured postseason berths.
The New York Giants and the Washington Commanders are both still in the race for Wild Card seeding, and the possibility that all four teams make the playoffs is still on the table.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-2, 3-2 division)
NFL Rank per NFL.com: 2 (-1 from Wk. 16)
Week 16 Result: 40-34 loss at Dallas Cowboys
The loss to the Cowboys staved off the Eagles’ division title hopes, at least for one more week. The biggest question for Philly at this stage is whether Jalen Hurts can regain the field in good enough health to help the Eagles win playoff games.
Besides losing the game, Philadelphia also lost more key players to injury, none bigger than starting right tackle Lane Johnson, who suffered a torn tendon in his abdominal area late in the fourth quarter against Dallas. Johnson, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, will miss at least the final two regular season games before being reevaluated ahead of the playoffs.
This week, the Eagles are at home against the New Orleans Saints, who are fighting for their playoff lives. The season finale will feature the Eagles and the Giants, though the game could have little meaning for either team by the time Week 18 rolls around.
2. Dallas Cowboys (11-4, 4-1 division)
NFL.com Rank: 6 (no change from Wk. 16)
Week 16 Result: 40-34 win vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas is keeping things interesting in the NFC East title race, winning a thrilling back-and-forth game against the Eagles. The Cowboys must win their final two games and have the Eagles lose their last two games to take the division title.
The Dallas offense is showing signs of life with a massive game from receiver CeeDee Lamb (10 catches, 120 yards, and two touchdowns) and highlight reel catches by Michael Gallup and T.Y. Hilton — who caught a 52-yard bomb to convert a crucial third-and-30 for his first reception as a Cowboy.
Next up, Dallas faces a Tennessee Titans team on Thursday Night Football that has lost five straight but is still locked in its own battle for the AFC South division title.
3. New York Giants (8-6-1, 1-3-1 division)
NFL.com Rank: 14 (-1 from Wk. 16)
Week 16 Result: 27-24 loss at Minnesota Vikings
The New York Giants showed they could throw down with some of the best in the NFC, using a late-game comeback to tie the game against the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings. But their dreams of a possible overtime victory evaporated as a 61-yard field goal by Vikings kicker Greg Joseph sailed through the uprights.
The Giants will need at least one win in the next two games to clinch a playoff berth. New York faces a down-and-out Indianapolis Colts team to start 2023 on Sunday before a date with the Eagles to close out the season.
4. Washington Commanders (7-7-1, 1-3-1 division)
NFL.com Rank: 16 (-1 from Wk. 16)
Week 16 Result: 37-20 loss at San Fransisco 49ers
The Commanders are just barely hanging on in the NFC East playoff race. The loss to San Fransisco likely foreshadows this team’s fortunes should they make the postseason.
Quarterback Taylor Heinicke got benched by head coach Ron Rivera after the backup-turned-starter who has carried the offense for months, lost a fourth-quarter fumble at his own 11-yard line and then was intercepted on the following possession, leading directly to six 49ers points and a 27-14 deficit.
Season-opening starter Carson Wentz took Heineke’s spot, and he will remain the starter on Sunday against a Cleveland Browns team with nothing left to fight for, and likely in the Commanders’ regular season finale against the Cowboys.
Washington needs to win out to make the playoffs. A loss in any of the two final games will put their postseason destiny in the hands of other teams.
