Who makes playoffs - Eagles or Phillies?

Here's today's sports dilemma:

Who do you think has a better chance of making the playoffs - the Phillies or the Eagles?

Don't laugh, it's not that far-fetched.

The Phillies have now won two straight from the first-place Braves. They are three games out of that second wild card slot with 12 games to play.

Meanwhile, the Eagles are so banged up Doug Pederson was forced to alter his schedule. Wednesday is usually a full-contact practice in pads, but the coach changed things up yesterday and went with just a walk-through.

There are a couple of things in play here. First, the Eagles are dealing with a wave of injuries. It certainly appears that they will be without their two top wideouts Sunday when the Lions come to the Linc. DeSean Jackson could miss two weeks with an abdominal strain. And Alshon Jeffery is still fighting a lingering calf strain. Tight end Dallas Goedert - who is critical as a blocker in the Birds' run schemes - seems to be on and off.

And then there's the schedule. The NFL gurus did not do Pederson any favors. The Birds will be playing two games in nine days.

That's right, they actually have a game a week from tonight, a very tough matchup against Green Bay on the road at Lambeau Field. It won't be a frozen tundra, but it could be a real land mine for a banged-up Birds team.

All of that makes it even more important for the Eagles to scratch out a win Sunday against Matt Stafford and the Lions.

In the meantime, don't write off the Phillies just yet.

Yeah, I know, I think I've said that about five or six times in the last month. Maybe this is the year the baseball gods finally repay us for 1964.

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