NFC playoff picture: Eagles sit 11th as division offers best opening

The Eagles remain within reach of first place in the NFC East, but the broader conference standings show how much ground Philadelphia has lost. At 2-4, the Eagles rank 11th in the NFC entering Week 7. San Francisco leads the conference at 6-0, Minnesota is unbeaten at 5-0, and three additional NFC North teams occupy every available wild-card position. SeedTeamRecordPosition1San Francisco 49ers6-0NFC West leader2Minnesota Vikings5-0NFC North leader3Carolina Panthers3-2NFC South leader4New York Giants3-2-1NFC East leader5Green Bay Packers4-2Wild card6Chicago Bears4-2Wild card7Detroit Lions3-2Wild card8Seattle Seahawks3-3Outside playoff field9Atlanta Falcons2-4Outside playoff field10New Orleans Saints2-4Outside playoff field11Philadelphia Eagles2-4Outside playoff fieldCurrent positioning entering Week 7.Philadelphia sits 1½ games behind Detroit for the final wild-card spot, with Seattle, Atlanta, and New Orleans also ahead in the conference standings. The Eagles’ 1-3 NFC record adds another concern as they attempt to work back into contention. The NFC North has established the deepest group of contenders. Minnesota leads the division, Green Bay and Chicago are 4-2, and Detroit holds the seventh seed at 3-2. That leaves little room for teams attempting to recover from slow starts elsewhere in the conference. The division route offers Philadelphia a more immediate opportunity. The Giants lead the NFC East at 3-2-1, and the Eagles are preparing for consecutive games against Dallas, Washington and New York before their bye.Winning that stretch would improve Philadelphia’s record while directly affecting the teams' standings between it and a division title.If the playoffs began with the current order, Detroit would visit Minnesota, Chicago would travel to Carolina, and Green Bay would play at the Giants. San Francisco would receive the first-round bye. The Eagles still have time to change that picture, but four straight losses have made the task harder. Their next opportunity comes against division opponents, with a chance to repair their record and keep a realistic shot at the postseason.This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: NFC playoff picture: Eagles sit 11th as division offers best opening