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Before diving headfirst into this topic, it's important to note that this article is not easy to write. This Philadelphia Eagles team is a true juggernaut. After a disappointing 2024 season, head coach Nick Sirianni has revamped his coaching staff and roster. Some key additions include hiring accomplished offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and signing Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley. Those moves, particularly the latter, have changed this franchise, making it one of the favorites heading into the 2025 NFL Playoffs.
Barkley's 2,0005-yard season has spearheaded an Eagles team built on wearing down their opponents on both sides of the ball. The Eagles' offense finished the year ranked seventh in the league in scoring offense at 27.2 points a game. On defense, Philadelphia is only giving up 17.7 points per game, which is second overall. This balanced attack has culminated in this team winning twelve of its last 13 games and having the second-highest point differential margin in the NFL. And that loss to the Washington Commanders was without quarterback Jalen Hurts under center.
Heading into the playoffs, Philadelphia will face a dangerous Green Bay team in the Wild Card round. The Eagles will be able to play at home until potentially the NFC Championship game, should they and the No. 1 seeded Detroit Lions take care of business. Overall, it will take a heck of an effort to keep this team from playing in New Orleans. However, the Eagles have a fatal flaw that an elite NFC or AFC contender can exploit this postseason.
The Eagles' inconsistent passing attack is their fatal flaw
Jalen Hurts has had an overall solid year leading this franchise in his fifth year in the league. The former All-Pro had 18 touchdown passes and five interceptions this season while rushing for 630 yards and 14 touchdowns. Those totals were enough to give Hurts the tenth-best QBR in the NFL.
While those stats are nothing to snuff at, the Eagles were fourth-last in the NFL in passing yards per game, at 187.9. An explanation for these numbers could be that they are due to this team's identity. Philadelphia leads the league in average time of possession, and its strategy revolves around exhausting defenses with Saquon Barkley until these units break. However, the Eagles were only tenth in the league in third-down conversion rate, showcasing that this team likes to get ahead of the sticks. This highlights a formula for beating this team.
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The Eagles' games against the Buccaneers and Ravens in 2024 indicate a path to victory against Philadelphia. Tampa Bay, which eliminated Nick Sirianni's team last year in the Wild Card, followed that up with a 33-16 victory over Philadelphia on September 29. Baker Mayfield and company dominated time of possession by more than 13 minutes in this affair.
The key to that stat was the passing game, where Tampa Bay's starter threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns. To be fair to the Eagles, Baker Mayfield's monster game was a rare feat against this secondary, which allowed the least amount of passing yards a game. However, jumping out to an early 14-0 lead while dominating time of possession forced Philadephia into a corner where Saquon Barkley only rushed the ball ten times. Jalen Hurts threw for 158 yards and a touchdown, raising questions about whether the Eagles have enough firepower through the air to come back when down two possessions against an elite opponent.
Against Baltimore, while Philadelphia won that game, the Ravens followed a similar blueprint, but this time on the ground. If Philadelphia's defense has a distinct weakness, it's containing the run, which they were ranked tenth overall in. Baltimore had the ball for an additional seven minutes compared to Philadelphia. While Saquon Barkley was able to run the ball 23 times, the Ravens' defense had enough energy to hold him to 107 yards on the ground.
The main reason why Baltimore lost this game was that Justin Tucker missed two field goals and an extra point that day. It's important to note that Jalen Hurts also struggled in this game, throwing for just 118 yards and a touchdown against the second-weakest passing defense in the NFL.
With all these facts, it's possible to envision a team like Detroit with an elite rush defense and offense holding onto time of possession and forcing Philadelphia into 100% passing situations. Like the Ravens, the Lions have a flawed secondary, but it remains to be seen if Jalen Hurts can take advantage of that weakness in a huge game.
Overall, it will take a Herculean effort to take down this Philadelphia Eagles team. But Saquon Barkley and company are not invincible. Should the Eagles not win Super Bowl 59, the fatal flaw discussed above will likely be the reason why.
