A year ago at this time, the Philadelphia Eagles were beginning a slide that would define their season.
It's just the opposite this season, as the 2024 Eagles are soaring.
Philadelphia won its ninth consecutive game of the season on Sunday, holding on to defeat the Carolina Panthers, 22-16, to clinch a playoff spot thanks to some help within its conference. The win, coupled with losses by the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals also on Sunday, provided the clinching scenario.
The Eagles' victory has ushered Philly into the postseason for the fourth consecutive season -- each of those appearances with head coach Nick Sirianni at the helm. Sirianni has now piloted the Eagles to a playoff spot in each season he's been at the helm. No coach has led Philadelphia to that many consecutive playoff berths since Andy Reid's Eagles went to five straight postseasons from 2000-2004.
Philadelphia improved to 11-2 and remains one of the hottest teams in the league. It's a massive contrast from the 2023 campaign, when the Eagles lost five of their last six, backed into the playoffs and were waxed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round to end a season of disarray.
As the Eagles fly away from Week 14 with their playoff ticket punched, they also remain in the driver’s seat to win the NFC East for the second time in three seasons.
This is clearly a much different and much-improved congress of Eagles, which will next face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 15 in a Keystone State showdown.
