Super Bowl odds: Carson Wentz's knee injury has Eagles down, but not out
The Eagles have been one of the best teams in football this season and they secured a huge win against the Rams on Sunday -- for a price. MVP candidate Carson Wentz left the game after injuring his knee, and with early reports indicating that he might have torn his ACL, the Eagles have a tough road ahead of them. SportsLine, however, ran the simulations. And even though backup quarterback Nick Foles isn't Wentz, he's still a very serviceable QB on a complete team -- and the Eagles aren't done yet by any means.
With this injury, the Eagles are still being given 90.3 percent odds to get the first seed in the NFC, down from 93.9 percent with Wentz. They also have a 34.5 percent chance to win the NFC, along with a 15.5 percent chance to win the Super Bowl (down from 37.4 percent and 18.3 percent).
Foles showed what he's capable of Sunday in a key moment. Down 35-31 in the fourth, he led the Eagles on a pair of field-goal drives that gave Philadelphia a 37-35 lead. Then, on third-and-8 with 1:45 left, Foles threw a perfectly placed ball on the outside of Nelson Agholor, who made an equally impressive catch. All told, Foles went 6 for 10 for 42 yards, but the passes he completed were all meaningful. Obviously the Eagles want to convert those field-goal drives into touchdowns, but in that moment it was enough to win the game.
Although the Vikings lost to the Panthers on Sunday, they're still nipping at the 11-2 Eagles' heels in the race for the NFC's top seed. The Vikings are 10-3 after Sunday's loss, and their final three games are against the Bengals, Packers and Bears. Foles won't replace Wentz's production, but with Jay Ajayi running well, Alshon Jeffery and Agholor having outstanding seasons and a strong defense, the Eagles aren't out of any races. Their final three games are against the Giants, Raiders and Cowboys. If they win out, they're the No. 1 seed in the NFC, plain and simple. Should they lose any, they might need a bit of help.
Once teams are in the playoffs, all bets are off. But the Eagles have already secured no lower than the fourth seed by clinching the NFC East on Sunday. Getting the tiebreaker over the Rams is huge as well. Once they're in the playoffs, we won't see a Ryan Lindley situation. Foles can throw the ball, he's a solid backup and he gives the Eagles a chance to win. In the playoffs, as has been proven time and time again, all teams need is a chance. And Foles gives the Eagles that chance.