NFC playoff picture: Eagles’ chances of playing Rams increase after ‘Monday Night Football’

The Eagles’ path back to the Super Bowl remained murky after the Los Angeles Rams closed out the slate of Week 17 games with a stunning 27-24 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta on “Monday Night Football.”

Much still depends on whether the Eagles are the second or third seed, and that won’t be determined until after Sunday’s late afternoon games. The possibility of the Rams being the No. 6 seed, however, was enhanced following the Falcons’ upset victory. The Atlanta win also has ramifications in the NFC South race between Carolina and Tampa Bay.

As for the Eagles, if they beat Washington and the Chicago Bears lose at home to the Detroit Lions in Week 18, the Eagles will be the No. 2 seed and play the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round. A Bears win, however, locks them into the second seed.

Both the Eagles and Bears are among the seven games scheduled for 4:25 p.m. Sunday.

Should the Eagles remain as the third seed, they will play the Rams if San Francisco wins at home against Seattle, but it would be the 49ers if Seattle wins on Saturday night and the Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals at home in their season finale.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was non-committal about whether he will play his starters in the season finale, a strategy he employed before his team’s four-game Super Bowl run last season ahead of his team’s four-game run to the Super Bowl title last season.

“We will end up doing what we think is the best for the team as we go through our process, and we’re still thinking through that,” Sirianni said Monday. “That’s not a decision I have to make today or even tomorrow.”

This is the most difficult to-play-or-not-play-the-starters decision Sirianni has had to make during his five seasons as the Eagles’ head coach.

“You have a bunch of different scenarios, and yes, your seeding’s not locked down yet, but you are thinking, ‘Hey, can I put ourselves in the best position seeding-wise?’ ” Sirianni said. “But also, you’re thinking to yourself how important byes are and creating them if you don’t earn the right for the first-round bye. Those are all things you’ve got to think through and go through because I think a lot of guys would say, last year, that that was a big deal of being able to have a bye last year to set us up for what we ultimately did last year.”

As Sirianni thinks things over, here’s the full look at where things stand following the completion of Week 17.

1. Seattle (13-3): The Seahawks will win the NFC West and claim the top seed with a victory or tie at San Francisco Saturday. They will fall to the fifth seed if they lose to the 49ers..

2. Chicago (11-5): The Bears will clinch the second seed with a win at home over the Detroit Lions in Week 18. They will fall to the third seed if they lose or tie against the Lions and the Eagles win at home against the Commanders.

3. Eagles (11-5): They can claim the No. 2 seed with a win over Washington and a Chicago loss or tie against the Lions.

4. Carolina (8-8): The Panthers can win the division with a win or a tie at Tampa Bay on Saturday or if Atlanta wins at home against New Orleans on Sunday.

5. San Francisco (12-4): The 49ers can climb to the top seed with a home win over the Seahawks on Saturday night. They could also slip to the sixth spot if they lose to Seattle and the Rams beat the Cardinals in Week 18.

6. L.A. Rams (11-5): The Rams can only move up a spot with a win in their season finale at home against the Cardinals and a San Francisco home loss to the Seahawks.

7. Green Bay (9-6-1): The Packers are locked into the seventh seed and can rest their starters in Week 18 at Minnesota.

Still in the hunt

Tampa Bay (7-9): The Buccaneers, losers in seven of their last eight games, can win the NFC South with a home victory against the Panthers on Saturday unless the Falcons win their season finale at home against the Saints the next day.

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