Is DeVonta Smith playing today? Eagles WR’s status explored for Week 18 vs Giants

The Philadelphia Eagles will play the New York Giants in the final game of the regular season. While they locked a playoff spot a couple of weeks ago, the team is still hopeful of earning the second seed in the conference, but they need to win this games and also wait for a Dallas Cowboys loss to the Washington Commanders.

For this game, wide receiver DeVonta Smith will be inactive. He suffered an ankle injury late in their Week 16 contest against the Arizona Cardinals when the Eagles suffered a major upset, 35-31, that knocked them off the NFC East summit. It will be A.J. Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus starting for Philadelphia.

To rest DeVonta Smith in a game that has no implications on whether to qualify for the playoffs is a smart decision for the team. Even if they still have the division title to play for, it's not on their hands, so they don't have to take any unnecessary risks.

Philadelphia Eagles playoff scenarios for Week 18

Nick Sirianni's team is still looking to get the division crown, but the likelihood is that they'll be the #5 seed in the NFC once the playoffs start. They started the season 10-1, but lost four out of the five subsequent games and couldn't hold on to the number one seed, instead losing to the San Francisco 49ers.

No NFC East team has repeated as champion since the 2005 season, and if the Eagles are going to break the streak today, they need the Cowboys to suffer a major upset just like what happened to Philadelphia in Week 17.

You can never say impossible in the NFL, but the odds are stacked against Philadelphia.

As the number five seed, they would travel to Florida to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield's team beat the Carolina Panthers 9-0 on Sunday and crowned themselves the champions of the NFC South.

With a 9-8 record, the Eagles would be favorites against the Buccaneers - but it's difficult to trust a team that lost to the Cardinals at home. It will be an interesting game if it happens.