For the Philadelphia Eagles, it looked like a foregone conclusion that they would be the No. 1 overall seed in the NFL. They went 13-1 to begin the season but have hit a snag recently, losing their last two games. That has put some pressure on them as the teams chasing them in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, have all kept winning.

If the Eagles are unable to defeat the New York Giants in Week 18 and the Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders, it will be Dallas who wins the NFC East. If the Eagles lose and the 49ers win, the NFC will go through San Francisco as the No. 1 seed.

There is a lot on the line this week for Philadelphia. They need that first seed as badly as anyone, given how banged up their roster is. That bye week would do them wonders in regard to how many key injured players they have.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts has missed the last two games because of a shoulder sprain. Right tackle Lane Johnson and slot cornerback Avonte Maddox have also been sidelined because of injuries.

Alas, there is some positive news on the injury front for the Eagles. According to Ari Meirov, Philadelphia has designated safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and defensive end Robert Quinn to return from injured reserve.

That is big news for an Eagles team that has been great defensively all season but has sprung some leaks the last two weeks. Gardner-Johnson will be a welcomed addition to a secondary that has been banged up, seemingly losing a different player each week to an injury.

Quinn hasn’t had the impact many expected when the Eagles acquired him from the Chicago Bears ahead of the trade deadline. After totaling 18.5 sacks last season, he has only one this season between the Bears and Eagles. While he has struggled, you can never have too many capable pass rushers on your roster.