For the fifth-straight season, Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles will be returning to the playoffs in the pursuit of their third Super Bowl in four years.
While some parts of their last two Super Bowl appearances remain intact, including Sriainni, Jalen Hurts, and other stalwarts like Lane Johnson, AJ Brown, and Brandon Graham – even if he tried to retire earlier last season – the Birds have had to say goodbye to multiple key members of their last two runs both on the field and in the booth, with players like Josh Sweat, Jason Kelce, and Milton Williams joining Jonathan Gannon, Shane Stechian, and Kellen Moore on the team's proverbial alumni page.
Fortunately, while the regular season wasn't too kind to Philadelphia, with the team taking a step back both on offense and in the standings, in the end, they sit firmly in the third seed and will welcome their cross-country rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, for another playoff showdown.
On one hand, there are few coaches as experienced as Kyle Shanahan in the NFC Playoff picture, with the legacy head coach having taken his team to the postseason four times during his nine-year tenure with the 49ers. Shanahan's offense has looked great regardless of whether Brock Purdy or Mac Jones was under center, and their defense has stepped up with Robert Saleh returning as the team's defensive coordinator, even if he could be one-and-done based on his interest on the head coaching market.
And yet, the 49ers are also one of the most injured teams in the NFL, with star players like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Mykel Williams all on IR while Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Trent Williams have all been working through issues that could leave them diminished even if they play against Philadelphia in Week 19.
Will this game be an easy win for Philadelphia? No, unless there's a fourth seed involved, very few playoff games ever are. But with all things considered, this is a very good matchup for the Eagles, as they have a defense that can limit even the best opposing offenses and enough firepower to punch their ticket to the divisional round.
The Eagles use the run to attack the 49ers down the field
As things presently stand, the 49ers have one of the worst secondaries in the playoffs.
According to Pro Football Focus, the team only has one defensive back, Malik Mustapha, with a defensive grade in the top-50 for his position, with the team's three main cornerbacks, Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, and Upton Stout, all struggling to keep with their guy in both man and zone coverage. They've allowed the 25th most passing yards, 3,951, and 21st most passing touchdowns (29) of any team in the NFL during the regular season, and some of those games featured a much more formidable pass rush than the team sports today, after injuries have decimated their front seven.
Could the Eagles go all-in on attacking the 49ers' secondary? Potentially so, but as fans saw earlier in the season during the team's losing streak, when the Eagles abandon the run, they start to become one-dimensional, which leads to their rather redundant passing offense getting exposed and a long day of work for Braden Mann, with any usual time of possession advantages neutralized.
No, if the Eagles are going to attack the 49ers' secondary, which they should try to, they must first establish the run against a Saleh defense that could very well start a pair of players signed this week in Eric Kendricks and old pal Kyzir White in a playoff game.
In December, the Eagles were able to not only get Saquon Barkley back on track but also showcase just how effective Tank Bigsby can be as a forward-moving battering ram between the tackles. If Sirianni, Patullo, and company put that two-headed attack to good work, then shots will open up down the field, and Hurts will be able to turn in a vintage performance the likes of which fans have come to expect: a low number of attempts, a high number of completions, and multiple scores.
The Eagles' pass rush gets after Brock Purdy all afternoon
On the offensive side of the ball, the 49ers are a team with a few elite playeres like Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Trent Williams – if he plays – but they are weak at wide receiver outside of Jauan Jennings, especially if Ricky Pearsall can't go, and have injuries all over their roster that could limit what Shanahan can call.
What else could limit what Shanahan can call on Sunday? Vic Fangio sending his pass rush after the injured quarterback all game long, forcing Purdy to keep an eye around the line of scrimmage instead of down the field, in order to identify where pressure is coming from.
Sure, Fangio famously complements a rather straight forward pass rush with evolving back seven concepts that can trip up quarterbacks after the ball is snapped, but in 2025, the Birds have not one, not two, but three linebackers who can really pressure the pocket from all over, with Nakobe Dean, Zack Baun, and Jihaad Campbell all getting pressure from around the defensive formation.
With a hand injury that left him visibly frustrated – and bloody – at times against the Seattle Seahawks, Purdy will be extra focused on the pass rush on Sunday, especially if he's without Williams at left tackle. If the Eagles can use that to their advantage, they can neutralize the 49ers' greatest advantage, Shanahan's unique ability to scheme up open plays down the field like college football.
The Eagles live to fight another day
If both teams were at full strength, the 49ers might actually be favored in this game despite being the road team. They'd have an elite defensive front to complement their impressive offense, and that unit could make life incredibly difficult for Hurts in the pocket.
Then again, if the 49ers were fully healthy, they probably would have taken down the Seahawks in Week 18 and would be on a bye this weekend, having secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Fortunately for Philadelphia, they are taking on a team that limped into the playoffs and couldn't get much of anything going in a game that would have secured them home-field advantage through the playoffs, including the Super Bowl. If they can simply turn in a consistent offensive game for all four quarters, the Eagles should advance to the Divisional Round for the second year in a row.
