NFC Playoffs Update: The Eagles are 8-4, but everything about this team screams instability

The Philadelphia Eagles walked into Week 12 at 8-2 while the Dallas Cowboys were sitting at 4-5-1 and barely hanging onto relevance. Philly had the division in a headlock. One more strong week and the NFC East could’ve been wrapped with a bow before December even hit.

Instead, the Eagles imploded in spectacular fashion.

They blew a 21-point lead to Dallas. The Cowboys beat the Chiefs. The Eagles got embarrassed by the Bears on Black Friday.

Suddenly, a race that should have been over is very much alive.

Had the Eagles not face-planted in Dallas, their magic number to clinch the NFC East would be sitting at two. Instead, it’s still at four with five games left.

The Eagles made this harder than it ever needed to be, and now every week feels like a referendum on whether this team is falling apart.

Eagles and Cowboys Remaining Schedules:

Eagles

• at Chargers
• vs Raiders
• at Commanders
• at Bills
• vs Commanders

Cowboys

• at Lions
• vs Vikings
• vs Chargers
• at Commanders
• vs Giants

Mathematically, the Eagles are still in excellent shape.

Win two more, Dallas loses two, division over. According to Vegas, the Birds still have massive odds to win the NFC East, sitting at -900 as of Saturday morning. The always-trusty eye test however, shows you an entirely different picture.

The Eagles are 8-4, but everything about this team screams instability.

The offense is flat. The offensive line is suddenly unreliable. Jalen Hurts looks uncomfortable. Saquon Barkley is running into brick walls. Kevin Patullo is calling games like he’s handcuffed to a play sheet he doesn’t believe in and Nick Sirianni looks like a coach searching for answers he doesn’t have.

The division standings say the Eagles are fine. The football says otherwise.

The Bears now hold the head-to-head over Philly. The Rams look like the class of the NFC. The Seahawks, Packers, and 49ers all look far more functional. The Eagles look like they’re stuck in a loop of mistakes, penalties, and wasted drives.

Current NFC Playoff Picture

1. Rams – 9-2
2. Bears – 9-3
3. Eagles – 8-4
4. Bucs – 6-5
5. Seahawks – 8-3
6. Packers – 8-3-1
7. 49ers – 8-4

In the hunt: Lions, Cowboys, Panthers
Doing cardio: Everyone else

Is this 2023 all over again for the Eagles?

It shouldn’t be. On paper, this team should cruise to the division title.

Even in their current slump, the schedule is manageable. The math favors Philly heavily. Unfortunately, outside of the locker room, the sky is falling all around the Birds, so that’s definitely something they will have to manage over the final stretch of the season.

The 2023 meltdown didn’t start until December, and somehow this feels worse because it’s been building all season. The Bears loss wasn’t a fluke. It was a flashing red light that the offense is broken and the coaching staff doesn’t know how to put it back together.

Still, the Birds should still win the NFC East, but if they don’t fix their offense immediately, winning the division might be the last thing they accomplish this season.

This team is teetering. We’re about to find out if they still have the backbone to stop a free fall or if 2025 is about to turn into another nightmare ending in Philadelphia.

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