Statistically the Eagles have their backs to the wall.

Great idea went to waste Sunday.

The Eagles are 0-2. A shade less than 12 percent of teams that started 0-2 have reached the postseason since 1990 according to CBS Sports research.

The Eagles last started 0-2 in 2007. They finished 8-8 and among the 88 percent who failed to reach the playoffs.

In 2003 the Eagles started 0-2 yet rallied to win the division. They lost in the second round of the playoffs.

The Eagles also started 0-2 in both 1998 and 1999 and wound up with losing records.

The Cowboys, who are 2-0. have a 63 percent chance of making the playoffs based on the same sample size.

The Cowboys, however, will be without the services of quarterback Tony Romo and Dez Bryant for roughly 6-to-8 weeks.

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This is what the Eagles (9-5) must do to reach the playoffs for the second straight year under Kelly:

To play again here this season, Eagles must win out and get a loss from the Cowboys.

To be the No. 3 seed: Beat Washington and the New York Giants (5-7) while the Cowboys (10-4) lose to either the Colts (10-4) or Washington. If the teams finish with the same amount of wins, the Eagles win the tiebreaker with a better division mark. 


To be a wild card: Beat Washington and the Giants while the Seahawks lose to the Arizona Cardinals (11-3) and the St. Louis Rams (6-8); or the Green Bay Packers (10-4) lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-12) and the Detroit Lions (10-4); or the Lions lose to the Chicago Bears (5-8) and the Packers.

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