After back-to-back losses, the demotion of their defensive coordinator and the poor weather of their star quarterback, the Eagles clinched a playoff spot on Sunday without playing a snap.
The 49ers' 45-29 victory over the Cards in Glendale, Arizona, guaranteed the Eagles a wild-card spot in this year's postseason, at worst.
Nick Sirianni is the first coach in franchise history to lead the Eagles to the postseason in each of his first three seasons. The Eagles made the playoffs in Ray Rhodes' first two seasons – 1995 and 1996.
The only teams making the playoffs in 2021 and 2022 are the Eagles, Bengals, Chiefs, 49ers, Bills, Buccaneers and Cowboys. The 49ers have already secured a spot in the playoffs. Everyone else has a chance to reach the playoffs again in 2023.
This is the sixth time in seven years the Eagles have been to the postseason. Since 2000, they have been to the playoffs 17 times in 24 years. Only the Patriots (18 times) have reached the postseason more often. The Packers have also been to the playoffs 17 times since 2000, and the Colts and Seahawks have been to the playoffs 16 times and have a chance to make it 17 times this year.
Looking back even further – all the way back to 1988 – the Eagles have been an NFL-high playoff team 22 times in 36 years. The Packers and Patriots also made the playoffs 22 times during that period. The Patriots are eliminated this year and the Packers are 6-8.
The Eagles enter their game on Monday night in Seattle with a record of 10-3. If they win their final four games — Seahawks, Giants at home on Christmas Day, Cards at home on New Year's Eve and Giants at East Rutherford on Jan. 7 — they will win the NFC East and, at worst, be the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
When the Eagles win and the 49ers lose a game, they are 11-3 and finish 10-3 against the Ravens in Santa Clara on Christmas Eve, the Commanders in Landover on New Year's Eve and the Rams in Santa Clara on January. 7 – The Eagles would be the No. 1 seed. In this scenario, they would be 14-3 and the 49ers would be 13-4.