The Philadelphia Eagles’ season came to a crashing halt in a way that felt all too familiar - not just in the loss, but in how it unfolded. A home playoff game, a wounded San Francisco 49ers squad across the field, and yet, the Eagles couldn’t find a way to rise to the moment.
Head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t sugarcoat it. “Felt like that was the story as our year progressed,” he admitted after the game.
And he wasn’t wrong.
This wasn’t just a playoff loss - it was a microcosm of a season that slowly unraveled. From early offensive struggles to visible tension on the sidelines, the cracks that had been forming all year finally gave way under the postseason spotlight.
The most telling moment may have come when star wideout A.J. Brown had to be physically restrained from going after Sirianni on the sideline. That kind of frustration doesn’t just appear out of nowhere - it builds over weeks, even months, and it spoke volumes about where this team was mentally and emotionally.
The offense, once considered one of the most dangerous in the league, sputtered when it mattered most. Kevin Patullo, who had taken over play-calling duties, became the focal point of fan frustration.
Things got so bad that his house was reportedly egged - a line no one should ever cross, no matter how passionate the fan base. But the message was clear: Philadelphia had lost faith in the man steering the offense.
The team responded swiftly after the loss, parting ways with Patullo.
Inside Lincoln Financial Field, the energy before kickoff was electric. Eagles fans believed - or at least hoped - that their team would find a way to advance.
But as the game wore on and the 49ers took control, that energy turned sour. Unfortunately, some fans crossed the line.
Videos emerged of 49ers fans being harassed outside the stadium - cursed at, pelted with beer cans, and subjected to a level of hostility that has no place in the game.
The 49ers, to their credit, didn’t just survive the environment - they thrived in it. And when the final whistle blew, it was the visiting team - battered, doubted, and disrespected - that walked out with the win and a ticket to the Divisional Round.
Meanwhile, the Eagles were left to sit in the wreckage of what could have been. The image of stunned, heartbroken fans in the stands was captured by 49ers team photographer Kym Fortino, whose photos showed the raw emotion of a fan base watching its team fall short once again. The pictures quickly made the rounds online, offering a visual postmortem of a season that promised more than it delivered.
Now, San Francisco moves on, still fighting, still believing. The Eagles, on the other hand, head into an offseason full of questions - about leadership, about scheme, and about whether this core group has already peaked. One thing is certain: the way this season ended won’t be forgotten anytime soon in Philadelphia.