Take your seed.

Yes, seed not seat, as in the upcoming NFL playoffs.

This weekend’s final slate of games will determine some seeds, while others are already locked in.

The Eagles (11-5) will begin the week as the No. 3 seed in the NFC, but they could secure the No. 2 seed with a win over the Commanders and the Lions beat the Bears.

Yet, the question will linger on whether the Eagles can work the kinks out of their sputtering offense, playing two consistent halves. Last week in Buffalo, the Birds managed 17 yards on 17 plays, and Jalen Hurts was 0-for-7 after halftime.

In this Inside the Huddle column, I’ll take a look at the Birds with their current and past seasons, a twirl around the league, a possible outlook for a top draft pick, a view of college football’s burning issues, and a rewind of a former local star who was on the Carolina Panthers’ expansion roster 30 years ago.

Put me in, coach ... Nick Sirianni has indicated that most of his starters won’t see the field Sunday, and Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert probably will be absent on the offensive side.

If the Eagles lose, they keep the No. 3 seed and a home playoff game. A win could gain the Birds the No. 2 seed, but is it worth it? Last year, Sirianni played his regulars in the season finale, and Smith and Hurts were both injured.

We’ll get a look at Tanner McKee, whose last game’s heroics last year field some thoughts on whether he should replace Hurts.

There’s also the question on whether the Birds would want to gain any momentum with a home playoff game the following week either against the Rams, 49ers or Seahawks depending on Sunday’s results.

By the Numbers ... Over the last eight games, the Birds have averaged 19.8 points (60 combined against Las Vegas and Washington), while their defense has allowed 14.5.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense held the league-leading rushing Bills to 120 yards last week, and sacked Josh Allen five times.

Hurts has topped the 230-mark passing three times, and Barkley has rushed for more than 80 twice during the stretch.

Third in Line ... In recent years, the Eagles have been the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, but, unfortunately, their trek was a short one.

In 2019, the Eagles were the third seed and played in the Wild Card round against the Seahawks at the Linc. They were on the short end of a 17-9 score, and managed just three field goals from Jake Elliott.

Under Doug Pederson, Josh McCown (anyone remember him?) completed 19 of 34 passes for 174 yards and was sacked six times.

Seattle’s Russell Wilson had a big afternoon, completing 30 of 45 attempts for 325 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a team-high 45 yards.

Two years later, the Birds were in the same situation in Tampa, but they again couldn’t turn the corner in a 31-7 defeat.

Philly fell behind 31-0 before Boston Scott (another name from the past) scored on a 34-yard scamper.

Jalen Hurts hit 23 of 43 attempts for 258 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Hurts also ran for 39 yards, and Dallas Goedert caught six passes for 92 yards.

Tom Brady connected on 29 of 37 attempts for 271 with a pair of scores on his way toward his Super Bowl run, but the Eagles managed to sack him four times. Mike Evans caught nine balls for 117 yards with a touchdown.

Elite Company ... Since 2020, only four teams have played in the playoffs every year.

Along with the Eagles, the others are the Packers, Rams, and Bills with the Steelers joining the crowd if they win Sunday.

Since 1990, the Packers have the most playoff appearances with 24 , and the Eagles have 21.

The Browns have the fewest with four.

New York’s Top of the Heep? ... Before this week’s games, the top five draft-pick order is the Raiders, Giants, Jets, Titans and Cardinals.

The Giants can still grab the top pick if they lose to the Cowboys and the Raiders beat the Chiefs. If the Giants and the Raiders finish with the same record, the Giants would get the top pick as a result of a tiebreaker determined by strength of schedule.

The Jets can’t get to the top pick overall, but they could climb to No. 2 if they lose and the Giants win.

Bad Grades ... Projected No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner — Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza — looked great with his 14 of 16, 192-yard, three-touchdown performance in his team’s 38-3 rout of Alabama in the Orange Bowl and CFP quarterfinals.

For the season, Mendoza has completed an outstanding 72.3 percent of his passes, connecting on 240 of 332 attempts for 3,172 yards with 36 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Yet, one anonymous former NFL scout evaluated Mendoza’s 13 games and found 15 faults with his play on www.firstroundmock.com. Among the most recognizable are working out of a shotgun the majority of the time, having worked out of a heavy RPO offense with the team’s effective running games, having trouble reading defense post-snap, struggling when the defense moves him out of the pocket, and lifting his back right foot while throwing.

The scout saw him as a probable fourth-round pick. If the Raiders do have the top pick, they will likely draft him as their new franchise quarterback.

Readers Write

Not Ram Tough

Dear Jeff,

I’m disappointed with my Rams since I wrote to you last time claiming the Rams were Super Bowl bound. It looked like Matthew Stafford was headed for his first MVP, but his uncharacteristic three interceptions have created a question mark. He only had five going into the Falcons’ game.

Perhaps the return of Davante Adams will spark the team. I’m looking forward to the intriguing playoff matchups.

Paul J. Dallara

Hawley, PA

Reader Frank Hall of Kunkeltown noted that he has an $8 ticket stub from the Eagles’ 1960 championship game. That ticket today would be worth approximately $87.

Hey, Big Spender ... NIL money on the college front continues to be a ringing issue.

Here are the latest top 10 big spenders among the ranks:

1. Texas, $22 million; 2) Ohio State, $20.2; 3) LSU, $20.1; 4) Georgia, $18.3; 5) Texas A&M , 17.2; 6) Michigan, $16.3; 7) Alabama $ 15.9; 8) Florida, $15.8; 9) Clemson, $15.2; and Oklahoma, $14.8.

Golden Exits ... Along with the NIL issue, college football also is dealing with the transfer portal problem, which is spiraling out of control. Only one portal — Jan 2-16 — has expedited and flooded the process.

Notre Dame backup quarterback Kenny Minchey was the latest Irish player to enter the portal Friday, making the move to Nebraska.

Other Irish players on the move are defensive linemen Armel Mukam and Joshua Burnham; safeties Ben Minich, Jadon Blair and Taebron Bennie-Powell; cornerbacks Chance Tucker and Karson Hobbs; wide receivers Leo Scheidler and Alex Whitman; and quarterback Anthony Rezac.

To their credit, though, head coach Marcus Freeman won’t be headed to the NFL, as the Giants reportedly were in hot pursuit of him.

Lions’ Den ... Like Notre Dame, Penn State has been hit with the transfer portal, notably with new head coach Matt Campbell.

Quarterbacks Ethan Grunkemeyer made a recent splash with his departure and was joined by fellow signal callers Bekkem Kritza and Jaxon Smolik.

Others leaving are running backs Cam Wallace and Corey Smith; offensive linemen T.J. Shanahan, Eagan Boyer, J’ven Williams and Alex Birchmeier; wide receivers Josiah Brown, Kaden Saunders, Anthony Ivey and Jeff Exinor; tight ends Luke Reynolds and Joey Schlaffer; defensive linemen Zuriah Fisher, Jaylen Harvey, Chaz Coleman, Xavier Gilliam and Daniel Jennings; linebackers Keon Wylie and Kari Jackson; and defensive backs King Mack, Lamont Payne, A.J. Harris and Elliot Washington.

Scrapbook ... Each column, I will peel back the pages to review the career of a former standout from the area.

Former Marian and Penn State lineman Sean Love had a brief NFL career with several stops.

Love recorded 27 sacks in his junior year, leading the Colts to a district title. The following season, Love was named the defensive MVP of the Big 33 All-Star game.

He was the Cowboys’ 10th-round pick in 1991, but he was released by the Cowboys, Giants and Jets. Love had a two-year stay with the Bucs, and then a year stint with the expansion Panthers in 1995.

After being signed and waived by the Jets, Love was active for two games with the Eagles in 1997.

Love’s final season was with the XFL Orlando Rage in 2001.

Early Super Bowl pick ... I see the Eagles regaining their flight and meeting the Patriots in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara.

Your thoughts are always welcomed; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.