The NFC East's long, bizarre season could come to a close on Saturday night when the Philadelphia Eagles host Washington. Or it could not conclude, because that's how the NFC East rolls this year.
If Washington (7-7) wins, it clinches the division title and a No. 4 seed in the playoffs, no questions asked. However, if the Eagles (6-8) win, they control their own destiny and can clinch by beating the New York Giants the following week. Saturday's win would give the Eagles an edge over Washington on division record, and next week's win would drop the Giants to at least nine losses.
That sounds easier said than done if you watched Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football in Week 16. The Eagles were barely competitive in a 40-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and their defense once again failed to show up. Philadelphia has now lost four of its last six games and would be eliminated from playoff contention if it didn't play in this division.
The Eagles' problems are the same as ever -- their offense doesn't really have an identity, which is by far the biggest sin of Chip Kelly's tenure. Say what you will about Kelly's methods or execution, but nobody expected his offense to be boring. DeMarco Murray, last year's league-leading rusher, is reduced to sitting on the bench while Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles get three to four yards on long-developing stretch runs. Sam Bradford looks less convincing than ever as a franchise quarterback. Jordan Matthews and Riley Cooper are poor substitutes for DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, while Nelson Agholor has been a non-entity in his rookie year. Chip Kelly's wild ride has been more like a leisurely stroll this season.
Washington has been far from perfect in 2015, but it's done enough to be at .500, which is way more than people expected after a chaotic preseason that saw Robert Griffin III disappear in favor of Kirk Cousins. Cousins, for his part, has looked above average this season. While it's still questionable whether he's the future for Washington, the front office likes him enough that they're reportedly pursuing a contract extension.
Cousins carved up the Buffalo Bills last week with four touchdowns and 319 yards on 22-of-28 passing. He's now up to 22 touchdown passes on the year, which are more than he's thrown in the past three years combined. Is Cousins the long-term answer for Washington? That is debatable, but in a season when playoff hopefuls are turning to Brandon Weeden, Brock Osweiler, AJ McCarron and Matt Cassel, a league-average quarterback is something to envy.
Either way, Washington's best chance of winning this game could come down to DeSean Jackson. He missed Washington's Week 4 showdown against the Eagles with a hamstring injury, but Jackson will be as motivated as ever to stick it to the coach who unceremoniously dumped him two years ago. That plot line alone will be compelling enough for NFL fans to tune in on Saturday night, along with all the usual shenanigans that go with NFC East primetime television.
How to watch
When: 8:25 p.m. ET
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
TV: NFL Network
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Trent Green and Evan Washburn
Online: NFL Game Pass