The Eagles entered Week 16 with a chance to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC and qualify for the first round of the playoffs.

Even if this remains in play after Sunday’s game, it will be much more difficult for Philadelphia to finish at the top of the conference.

The Eagles fell to the Commanders in devastating fashion in Week 16, losing 36-33 after blowing a 27-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. Washington rookie QB Jayden Daniels orchestrated a 22-point quarter for the Commanders, capping the game with a go-ahead touchdown to Jamison Crowder with six seconds left to defeat their division opponents.

The defeat does not change the NFC East standings. While the Eagles could have won the division with a win, the team remains two games ahead of the Commanders with only two weeks of the regular season left to play.

However, the loss to Washington had an impact on Philadelphia’s hunt for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. With Detroit taking care of Chicago in NFC North action, Nick Sirianni’s team faces an uphill climb to earn a bye to the divisional round of the playoffs.

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Here’s how the Eagles’ loss affected the NFC playoff picture and the conference’s No. 1 seed.

NFC playoff rankings

seeds	team	Record
1	Lions	13-2
2	eagle	12-3
3	Aries	9-6
4	privateer	8-6
5	Vikings	13-2
6	packer	10-4
7	Commanders	10-5

The Lions and Eagles entered Week 16 with identical 12-2 records. However, after Sunday’s results, Detroit now has a one-game lead over Philadelphia for the top spot in the NFC and a first-round bye.

Both the Lions and Eagles are well ahead of the other two respective division leaders, the Rams (9-6) and Buccaneers (8-6). Even though the No. 1 seed has not yet been determined, it is guaranteed that the top two seeds will be the division winners of the NFC North and NFC East.

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Eagles playoff picture

The Eagles secured their spot in the postseason even before the loss to the Commanders. However, the team has not yet secured the NFC East title. All Sirianni’s squad needs is one more win or one more loss in Washington and the division is theirs.

The loss to the Commanders was a blow to the Eagles’ chances of earning a bye. Philadelphia has been playing catch-up against Detroit all season and would most likely need to win now to have a chance at the No. 1 seed.

In a worst-case scenario, the Eagles are guaranteed to finish as the No. 2 seed in the conference, which would lead to a first-round matchup against the No. 7 seed, which currently belongs to none other than the Commanders. Philadelphia still has games against Dallas and New York on the program.

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Lions playoff picture

The Lions remain atop the NFC playoffs with a blowout win over the Bears in Week 16. Detroit has already secured its spot in the postseason. However, it remains a battle for the NFC North title. Minnesota is also on the back foot with just two losses this season.

The NFC North and the conference’s No. 1 seed could ultimately be decided in Week 18 when the Lions host the Vikings. If Minnesota and Detroit each start the final week at 14-2, the second matchup between the two would result in a winner-take-all contest and have big implications for the playoff seedings.

However, before their game against Minnesota in Week 18, the Lions have a date with the 49ers in Week 17 on “Monday Night Football.”

Vikings playoff picture

The Vikings are 13-2 following their Week 16 win over the Seahawks. They currently own the first wild card spot in the NFC and are in second place in the NFC North.

Minnesota lost its previous match against Detroit earlier in the season, which is why Dan Campbell’s team owns the tiebreaker. However, as mentioned above, there is still a chance that the Vikings could not only win the division but also be a No. 1 seed. If Minnesota wins and closes its season with a win over the Lions, Kevin O’Connell’s team would be the only team in the NFC with two losses and would be the No. 1 seed.

Before the regular season finale against Detroit, Minnesota faces Green Bay at home in Week 17.