The spiraling Philadelphia Eagles are no longer among the NFL’s elite

The defending NFC champions looked on course for a return trip to the Super Bowl after a 10-1 start. But a three-game slide has dropped them from the ranks of serious contenders

So much of the December NFL narrative is devoted to teams scrambling to qualify for the playoffs, but the end of the regular season is also a terrific chance for the diminishing handful of Super Bowl contenders to sharpen their tools, to separate themselves from the pack.

One of those contenders, the Philadelphia Eagles, had lost their previous two games but could have scored a get-right victory Monday in Seattle against the Seahawks. All they needed to do was prevent Seattle, down by four points, from driving 92 yards in less than two minutes.