Eagles Still Leading the NFC East, But Cracks Are Starting to Show
The Philadelphia Eagles may still sit atop the NFC East, but let’s be honest-this isn’t the dominant team fans were expecting to see after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy earlier this year. Two straight losses, including a tough one at home to the Chicago Bears, have exposed some real vulnerabilities. And now, the playoff picture is starting to shift in ways that should make Philly take notice.
That loss to Chicago wasn’t just a bad day at the office-it handed the Bears a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker. If the postseason started today, the Bears would be the NFC’s top seed.
The Eagles? They’d be sitting at No.
- That’s a far cry from the team that steamrolled its way through the NFC last season.
There’s a growing sense that something’s just… off. And it’s not just the fans feeling it. Former Patriots safety and current NFL analyst Devin McCourty put it plainly when asked on The Dan Patrick Show whether he was more concerned about the Eagles or the Chiefs right now.
"I'm more concerned about the Eagles," McCourty said. "The Eagles, to me, they're just underachieving.
I kind of was like, 'Hey, don't get too concerned'-until last week when I watched Chicago beat Philly at what Philly does the best. Their defensive line, their front, they pushed 'em around.
That was alarming for me, and I think they need to fix that right away."
McCourty’s not wrong. The Eagles’ defensive front is supposed to be the heartbeat of this team-disruptive, physical, and relentless.
But against the Bears, it looked like the script flipped. Chicago controlled the line of scrimmage, and that’s not something we’re used to seeing against this Philly defense.
It wasn’t just the defense that looked out of sync. The offense has been stuck in neutral, lacking the rhythm and explosiveness that defined last year’s unit.
There’s been a noticeable drop-off in execution, whether it’s missed throws, stalled drives, or an inability to finish in the red zone. And when both sides of the ball are struggling at the same time, it’s hard to find a spark.
Let’s rewind to this time last year. The Eagles were flying high on a 10-game win streak and closed the regular season with 12 wins in their final 13 games.
That kind of consistency and momentum just hasn’t been there this season. This group hasn’t shown the same ability to stack wins and build confidence week to week.
Sure, they’re still in control of their division, and yes, they’ve got the talent to make a run. But the question isn’t just whether they’ll get into the playoffs-it’s what they’ll do once they’re there.
Will they flip the switch and rediscover the form that made them champions? Or will they continue to look like a team that’s still searching for its identity in December?
The Eagles have time to right the ship, but the margin for error is shrinking. If they want to be taken seriously in January, they’ll need to start playing like it in December.