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The playoff implications in this game are surprisingly small, all things considered. The Eagles looked like a wild card team earlier in the year, but Carson Wentz has cratered after a fast start and the Eagles are now dead last in the NFC East, meaning their postseason hopes are basically gone.
The Giants, meanwhile, are virtually assured a playoff spot. They’re unlikely to catch the Dallas Cowboys, who at 12-2 are two games ahead of them with two games to go, so the best they’re going to do is the 5th seed in the NFC, which will see them matchup against the NFC South or NFC North division champ, in all likelihood. The worst they’re likely to do is slip down to the #6 seed, which (again) is likely to get them either the NFC South or NFC North champion. A loss here wouldn’t be the end of the world for them.
Yet it matters for New York, and I anticipate they’ll win this one. A win ensures the Giants don’t slip in their hunt for #5, and I have to imagine they like their chances against the likes of the Packers or Lions more than the Falcons. As wary as I am of this Giants team, many NFL analysts say nobody wants to play Atlanta, and I heartily believe that given the way the offense has been eviscerating teams.
So watch for the minor playoff implications, and because Carson Wentz and Eli Manning are good for some horrific and entertaining interceptions along the way.
Thursday Night Football Week 16
What: New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: Thursday, December 22, 8:25 p.m. EST
Channel: NBC/NFL Network
SB Nation Sites: Big Blue View | Bleeding Green Nation
Key Story Lines: Will either of these quarterbacks get back on track, by which I mean stop throwing so many hilariously bad passes? Can the Eagles help play spoiler for the Giants by dealing them a loss here and keeping their extremely faint (maybe non-existent, I haven’t done the math) hopes alive? Will I giggle at the name Wendell Smallwood, again?