The Eagles’ path to the No. 1 seed in the NFC runs through a handful of games that could shape everything about their playoff setup.
That matters because Philadelphia has been at its best when the postseason comes through Lincoln Financial Field. The last two times the Eagles earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, they reached the Super Bowl. Even when they were the No. 2 seed, they still ended up hosting three playoff games and made another Super Bowl run.
The home-field numbers back up the idea that this is the prize worth chasing. Since Nick Sirianni took over as head coach, the Eagles are 6-1 in playoff games at Lincoln Financial Field.
Overall, they are 9-2 in their last 11 playoff games there. In a season where the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks appear to be ahead of Philadelphia, getting those games at home could make the difference.
One of the biggest swing games is against the Bears. Chicago was one of the NFC surprises last season and also beat the Eagles in Philadelphia.
That loss helped leave the Eagles with the No. 3 seed, though they could have moved up to No. 2 if Sirianni had played his starters in the regular-season finale. The gap between No. 2 and No. 3 is not huge, but the message was clear: head-to-head results matter.
A win over the Bears this time would help Philadelphia’s push for the top spot.
The Rams game carries even more weight. Los Angeles is expected to be the NFC’s best team, and head-to-head matchups are the first tiebreaker in the conference playoff race. Sirianni has never lost to Sean McVay, and this is the kind of matchup that could give the Eagles the inside track toward home-field advantage.
Winning the NFC East is the first step, and the Thanksgiving game in Dallas could end up deciding whether Philadelphia claims the division for a third straight year. The Eagles also have a Week 7 home game against the Cowboys, but the road test with the whole country watching is the one that may settle the race. That becomes even bigger because the Eagles have lost seven of their last eight in Dallas.
Seattle is another major hurdle. The Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champions and sit ahead of the Eagles in the NFC pecking order.
Philadelphia has had a hard time with them for years, having not beaten Seattle since 2008 and not beaten them in Philadelphia since 1989, when Seattle was still in the AFC. If the Eagles want the head-to-head tiebreaker, they have to finally break through there.
Then there is the Week 17 matchup against the 49ers, the team that knocked the Eagles out of the playoffs last season. That game could determine whether Week 18 even matters.
A win there could put Philadelphia in position for the No. 1 seed depending on what happens against the Rams and Seahawks. It could also clinch the NFC East and guarantee at least one home playoff game.
For the Eagles, December and January are where the playoff picture gets decided. These are the games that will tell whether they get the kind of road to the Super Bowl that usually starts and ends in Philadelphia.
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