With a victory and some assistance this weekend, the Eagles can guarantee a playoff spot.
In the Eagles’ history, no coach has made it to the playoffs in his first three seasons. This weekend, Nick Sirianni has the chance to be the first.
With a victory over the 49ers and one of the following results, the Eagles can secure a playoff spot for the third straight season:
• A Rams tie or loss to the Browns in Inglewood, California … OR
• A Lions loss to the Saints in New Orleans AND a Packers loss or tie to the Chiefs in Green Bay … OR
• An Eagles tie, a Rams loss, a Packers loss or tie and a Falcons loss or tie vs. against the Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey … OR
• An Eagles tie, a Rams loss, a Packers loss or tie and a Saints loss or tie vs. the Lions in New Orleans.
The Panthers, Cardinals, and Patriots can all be eliminated from postseason contention this weekend, but the Eagles (10-1) are the only NFL team that can guarantee a postseason berth.
Ray Rhodes in 1995 and 1996 was the only coach to take the Eagles to the postseason in his first two years before Sirianni in 2021 and 2022.
The Eagles have made the playoffs 21 out of 35 seasons since 1988. The only teams with more postseason appearances (17 each) are the Patriots and Packers (16 each). With the Patriots at 2-9 and the Packers at 5-6, it’s likely that neither team will make the playoffs this season.
Since 1982 through 1987, the Eagles have not missed more than three seasons without making the playoffs.
Only seven teams—the Eagles, Cowboys, Buccaneers, 49ers, Chiefs, Bengals, and Bills—made it to the postseason in both 2021 and 2022. The Eagles could be among the four teams to make it to the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons, as the Buccaneers, Bengals, and Bills are among those teams with records of 4-7, 5-6, and 6-6, respectively.
At 4:25 p.m. on Sunday at the Linc, the NFC’s top two teams, the Eagles and 49ers, square off.