Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas once dropped the iconic line “all the runs are unearned, but who cares” at the end of a disastrous late-season inning for the team. And it felt like “but who cares” would have been an appropriate way to cap off the multiple reminders NBC’s Mike Tirico slipped in Sunday that the Eagles still control their own destiny in the NFC East.
Yes, the Eagles do still control their own destiny in the NFC East following a pair of ugly losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys in consecutive weeks. Both the Eagles and Cowboys are 10-3, having split their two matchups this season. Philadelphia is now 6-2 against NFC opponents, while the Cowboys are 7-3. If the Eagles win their final four games — all of which are against NFC opponents — they’ll have one less conference loss than the Cowboys. That would break the tie if the Eagles and Cowboys each finish 14-3.
First of all, though, such an outcome shouldn’t be taken for granted. The Eagles will be favored in all four of their remaining games, but next Monday’s tilt in Seattle will hardly be a cakewalk against a Seahawks team whose playoff hopes are on life support. One would think the Eagles will sweep their two remaining matchups with the lowly New York Giants — which will take place in Week 16 and Week 18, respectively — but strange things can happen when you play a divisional opponent twice in three weeks. And while the Eagles should handily beat former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s Cardinals on New Year’s Eve, Arizona has pulled off upsets against three playoff-contending teams this year — the Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.
