It’s been a long season for the Philadelphia Eagles who had to use Week 18 as another BYE week before getting ready to host the Green Bay Packers in a Wild Card Round playoff battle. After starting 2-2, the Eagles looked as if they would be reliving the nightmares of the 2023 season. Everything seemed to be falling apart around them. Fans were asking for the firing of Nick Sirianni, Jalen Hurts looked like a shell of himself, and the offense just looked lost.
No one knows what truly happened during their BYE week but one thing is for sure, the Eagles got the wake-up that they needed. That wake-up call led to an impressive turnaround as Philly would go 12-1 in their remaining 13 games of the season. To be honest, they could’ve gone a perfect 13-0 after their BYE had it not been for a brutal hit to Jalen Hurts that knocked him out of the game against the Commanders.
But that’s neither here nor there. It’s water under the bridge as Philadelphia went on to win the NFC East and clinch the number 2 seed in the NFC. Which leads us to where they are now. On the cusp of taking on a Packers team that can’t be overlooked despite the injuries and struggles that have been haunting them for most of the season. But if Philly defeats Green Bay then who would be next? What does the path to the Super Bowl look like for the NFC East champs?
That all depends on who wins in the other two games. Their next opponent would depend on who the higher seed is which is the disadvantage of not winning the number one seed. The other two matchups consist of the Commanders (6th seed) facing the Buccaneers (3rd seed) and the Vikings (5th seed) taking on the Rams (4th seed).
There is no way that the Eagles will face the Commanders again unless Washington and Philadelphia both make it to the NFC Championship game. So we can officially scratch them out for the Divisional Round of the playoffs. This only leaves the Buccaneers, Vikings and Rams are their next potential opponent.
The Eagles would draw the highest remaining seed out of the three teams. This means if the Bucs defeat the Commanders then Philly would host the Bucs in the next round. One of the Eagles’ toughest opponents this season and a thorn in their side from their recent playoff matches. The Bucs would be a very difficult opponent for the Eagles but luckily for Philly, they are not the same team that the Bucs dismantled in Week 4.
However, if the Commanders defeat Bucs then the Eagles will face the winner of the Vikings and Rams matchup. Philadelphia would host either of those teams at the Linc for the Divisional Round.
Philly already faced the Rams this season back in Week 12 when they went to LA and won 37-20. Saquon Barkley rushed for 255 yards and two touchdowns in that game while A.J. Brown caught 6 passes for 109 receiving yards and a touchdown. It was also an impressive defensive performance as they held the Rams to only 7 points in the first half and 14 points after three-quarters of play.
The true anomaly would be the Vikings. Philadelphia hasn’t played them in a regular season game since 2023, when they defeated the Vikings 34-28 behind the play of D’Andre Swift. A lot has changed since then as now Sam Darnold and the Vikings’ defense have led them to an impressive 14-3 record. The Vikings had a shot at clinching the number one seed but were dominated by the Lions in Week 18 by the score of 31-9.
Which in all honesty could be a very good sign for the Eagles as their defense finished as the number one unit in the NFL for the 2024 season. Regardless of who they face in the divisional round, the Eagles seem to be on a collision course with America’s newest sweetheart, the Detroit Lions.
Both teams match up very well but health looks to be favoring the Eagles in that potential clash. The Eagles may have a tough road ahead of them but it’s one that they can handle. They were able to handle their business week in and week out this season with a great amount of focus and composure. The team refused to allow any distractions to slow them down which could be the edge that they need against these NFC teams.
For now though, the Eagles will host the Packers on Sunday at 4:30 PM EST for the Wild Card round to kick off their playoff run.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
