The odds were going to be stacked against the Eagles following Saturday's 27-24 loss to the Redskins. In order to make the playoffs, they needed the Dallas Cowboys to lose to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and lose again next week while winning their own Week 17 game against the Giants.
That longshot chance at the playoffs is now gone. With a 42-7 thrashing of the Colts – who locked up the AFC North last week – the Cowboys clinched the NFC East title and eliminated the Eagles from playoff contention.
The Eagles opened the season with three straight wins before losing in San Francisco and responded with two more wins to be 5-1 heading into a bye week.
A close loss in Arizona started a see-saw effect in the schedule. Following that loss, the Eagles defeated the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers before being embarrassed in a loss to Green Bay on the road.
The Eagles followed that up with a win over the Tennessee Titans and what appeared to be a defining 33-10 win over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, moving them to 9-3 on the season.
Three straight losses – first two at home to the Seattle Seahawks and the Cowboys – then Saturday's loss in Washington suddenly brought the Eagles record to 9-6 as the Cowboys managed to keep pace.
Throughout, the Eagles dealt with season-long injuries to Nick Foles and DeMeco Ryans, while using a makeshift offensive line through most of the first half of the season.
All in all, remarkable the Eagles were able to even be in position to win the division given their sloppy and inconsistent play all season.
For the last three weeks, the playoff hopes were in jeopardy. When the win on Thanksgiving propelled the Eagles into first place solely, there was potential the Eagles could compete for a first-round bye. That was not even a month ago.
Now, we bid farewell to the Eagles season in just seven days, knowing there isn't a playoff game to come. As much as it hurts, after a 9-3 start, it is justly earned by this Eagles team.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for @Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
