It’s annoying to hear these sports talk show guys go on the air and spew nonsense without first checking their facts.

On ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike” show on Friday (Dec. 18, 2015), for instance, those guys were talking about how the Philadelphia Eagles needed to beat Arizona in Week 15, a game against the 11-2 Cardinals on Sunday night (Dec. 20), in order to have a shot at the NFC East title.

Uhm. No. That’s totally wrong.

You see, the Eagles, at 6-7, are tied with the Washington Redskins and New York Giants atop the East with only three games left. The Eagles control their own destiny, as do the Redskins. The Giants, meanwhile, do not.

Yes, if Philadelphia wins out, the NFC East belongs to the Eagles. But they don’t need to beat Arizona in Week 15. As long as they beat the Redskins in Week 16 and then the Giants in Week 17, the Eagles will be NFC East champs, regardless of what happens in the Cardinals game.

If the Eagles should lose to the Cardinals, and then beat Washington and New York, their record would be 8-8. Assuming the Redskins and Giants win their remaining non-Philadelphia games (but lose to the Eagles), those two teams would also be 8-8.

Under that scenario, the Eagles would win the East because of a better division record (4-2 vs. 3-3) over Washington, and a 2-0 head-to-head record over New York.

So, the game against Arizona in Week 15 on Sunday night is not a “must win” for the Philadelphia Eagles. The divisional games in the final two weeks, though, would be.

BleedingGreenNation.com’s Brandon Lee Gowton couldn’t have explained it better about the Eagles’ playoff scenario here. Thanks for staying on top of it and laying everything out so clearly.

Shame on ESPN Radio’s crew, meanwhile, for not doing their homework and getting things wrong on the air.