The Eagles’ fatal flaw that will doom them in the 2025 NFL playoffs

Before we get into this topic, it is important to note that this article is not easy to write. This Philadelphia Eagles the team is a real juggernaut. After a disappointing 2024 season, the head coach Nick Sirianni has renewed its coaching staff and roster. Some key additions include hiring accomplished offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and signing Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley. Those moves, especially this last one, have changed this franchise, making it one of the favorites for 2025. NFL playoffs.

Barkley’s 20,005-yard season led an Eagles team built on wearing down opponents on both sides of the ball. Eagles offense finished the year in seventh place in the league in scoring offense with 27.2 points per game. Defensively, Philadelphia is giving up just 17.7 points per game, which is second overall. This balanced offense has culminated in this team winning twelve of its last 13 games and having the second-highest scoring margin in the NFL. I that loss for the Washington commanders was without a defender Jalen Hurts below the center.

Entering the playoffs, Philadelphia will face the dangerous Green Bay team in the Wild Card round. The Eagles will be able to play at home until potentially the NFC Championship game if they and the top-seeded Detroit Lions take care of business. All in all, it will take a big effort to keep this team from playing in New Orleans. However, the Eagles have a fatal flaw that an elite NFC or AFC contender can exploit this postseason.

The Eagles’ inconsistent attack is their fatal flaw

Jalen Hurts had a solid year leading the franchise in his fifth year in the league. The former All-Pro had 18 passing touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 630 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. Those totals were enough to give Hurts the tenth-best KBR in the NFL.

While those stats are nothing to sniff at, the Eagles were fourth in the NFL in passing yards per game, at 187.9. An explanation for these figures could be that they are due to the identity of this team. Philadelphia leads the league average holding timeand his strategy revolves around wearing down the defense with Saquon Barkley until these units break down. However, the Eagles were just 10th in the league in third-down conversion rate, showing that this team likes to be in front of the stick. This highlights the formula for beating this team.

The Eagles’ games against the Buccaneers and Ravens in 2024 point the way to victory against Philadelphia. Tampa Bay, who eliminated Nick Sirianni’s team last year in the Wild Card, followed by a 33-16 win over Philadelphia on Sept. 29. Baker Mayfield and Company possession time dominated for more than 13 minutes in this affair.

The key to those stats was the passing game, where the Tampa Bay starter threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns. In fairness to the Eagles, Baker Mayfield’s monster game was a rare feat against this secondary, which allowed the fewest passing yards in the game. However, jumping out to an early 14-0 lead while dominating time of possession forced Philadephia into a corner where Saquon Barkley only threw the ball ten times. Jalen Hurts threw for 158 yards and a touchdown, prompting questions about whether the Eagles have the firepower to come back from a two-possession loss against an elite opponent.

Against Baltimore, while Philadelphia won that game, the Ravens followed a similar plan, but this time on the ground. If Philly’s defense has a distinct weakness, it contains the run, where they were 10th overall. Baltimore had the ball for extra time seven minutes compared to Philadelphia. While Saquon Barkley was able to throw the ball 23 times, the Ravens defense had enough energy to hold him to 107 yards on the ground.

The main reason Baltimore lost this game was because Justin Tucker missed two field goals and an extra point that day. It’s important to note that Jalen Hurts also struggled in this game, throwing for just 118 yards and a touchdown against the second-worst passing defense in the NFL.

With all of these facts, it’s possible to envision a team like Detroit with an elite rush defense and offense that keeps time of possession and forces Philly into 100% passing situations. Like the Ravens, the Lions have a flawed secondary, but it remains to be seen if Jalen Hurts can exploit that weakness in a huge game.

All in all, it will take a Herculean effort to take down this Philadelphia Eagles team. But Saquon Barkley and company aren’t invincible. If the Eagles don’t win Super Bowl 59, the fatal flaw discussed above will likely be the reason why.