As they prepare for the second half of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles find themselves in a difficult situation. four-way tie for first place in the NFC. While the Eagles are running away with the NFC East, they are battling for first place in the conference with the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and their new rivals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Eagles vs. Pirates
The Eagles have struggled with the Buccaneers the last few years. With a 6-2 record, Tampa will relish the opportunity to face the Eagles again in the playoffs and avenge their Week 5 loss to Philadelphia.
Tampa is an impressive QB-led team. Baker Mayfieldand received a star in the “Newcomer” category Emeka Egbuka from Ohio. With their young star players, they hope to make a serious playoff push for the first time since then. Tom Brady was a pirate.
After a bye Week 9, they face a busy three-game stretch. Tampa is scheduled to face New England, Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams in back-to-back weeks.
This test lies ahead, and it will be a critical test to see if the Bucs are a true contender and a true threat to Philadelphia in the NFC.
Seahawks on the strip
With six wins, the Seattle Seahawks are one of the hottest teams in the NFC. The Seahawks have won their last three games and have a point differential of +81 points. This third best point differential in the league and second best in the NFC.
WITH new acquisition of Rashid Shahid from the Saints, this Seattle Wide Receiver room just got stronger. After already being led by one of the best players in the league Jackson Smith-Njigba and an experienced receiver, Cooper Coup.
One of the big question marks surrounding the Seahawks is whether they will Sam Darnold could lead them to a legitimate playoff spot. Darnold has had issues over the years and had a terrible playoff performance against the Minnesota Vikings last season. This year, Seattle is hoping their assets will be enough to help them overcome adversity and succeed in the postseason, especially with the momentum they've built so far.
Revenge of the Rams
One of the toughest teams the Eagles have faced over the last few seasons is the Rams, who have given the Birds a run for their money in their last two meetings.
In the 2024 playoffs, the Eagles and Rams met in the divisional round in a thriller that went to the extreme in snowy Lincoln Financial Field. The home Eagles were able to sneak out of the division with a 28-22 win over the Rams, but it sparked what is now developing into a rivalry between Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
Earlier this season, the Rams returned to Philadelphia, hoping to avenge their playoff loss a few months ago. The Rams opened with a 26-7 lead over the Eagles and then scored 26 unanswered points to lead Philadelphia to another win. It was another gamble that ended with the Eagles blocking a go-ahead field goal with a few seconds left and returning it for a touchdown. The Eagles won 33-26.
With those close losses in the back of their minds, the 6-2 Los Angeles Rams are hoping to get another chance to get revenge on the Eagles as they chase another Lombardi Trophy.
