by EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Coach Nick Sirianni says it never occurred to him that he had a playoff spot until he caught his attention in the locker room after the Philadelphia Eagles lost 48-22 to the New York Giants on Sunday.
“They told me that there and I said, ‘Oh, that’s nice,'” said Sirianni. “We have bigger goals and we’re moving on to the next one.”
Senior right guard Lane Johnson said the post-game scene was “just like any other day. ‘Yahoo!’ or anything. It was like, ‘This is great.'”
The Eagles became the first team to find a place for them after the season. It’s the first time they’ve made a trip this early since the Super Bowl champion 2017 roster, and they’re still locked in Week 14.
This was much more dramatic. MVP nominee Carson Wentz tore his ACL against the Rams that night at the LA Coliseum. Nick Foles stepped in, helped solidify the win, and set off on one of the biggest magic carpet rides in NFL history.
This time everything worked. MVP winner Jalen Hurts surgically exorcised the demons he left at MetLife Stadium when he scored his career-high three-pointer on his trip here last year. On Sunday, he sliced New York for a total of 294 yards and three touchdowns.
He and running back Miles Sanders became the first Eagles duo to each score more than 10 fast goals in a single season. The team set a new franchise record for fast scoring in a season with 27 goals, surpassing a goal set in 1945.
AJ Brown also crossed the 1,000-yard field goal, becoming the fourth Eagle to score 1,000 return yards and 10 field goals in a season since 1990.
Philadelphia’s recent dominance has been particularly surprising: the Eagles have scored 123 points in their last three games, the highest in three games since scoring 125 points in the 1950 season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
But none of them seem to affect them much.
When asked if he would secure a playoff spot, Hurts said: “Coming here and getting a W means everything. We have another challenge ahead and another week where we hit our win goal. So we’re grateful for that.”
Others in the locker room were more excited. When cornerback Darius Slay was noted playoff berth during the interview session, he gave a squeak, recalling some of his poor years with the Detroit Lions.
“I’ve never been 12-1 in the NFL, I haven’t led the division, I’ve never clinched this early. Sky is the limit for this team,” he said. “We have a lot of talented actors in this room who really play for each other.”
Top runner Haason Reddick, who hit double-digit sacks for the third consecutive season, added: “This is my first year in the playoffs in my NFL career. I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere is like. I hope I do my part and the team does its job so we can play for the big trophy.”
The Eagles have the best record in football, holding a two-game lead against the Dallas Cowboys (10-3) with four games left in the league, and have a 79% chance to take the #1 spot in the NFC following Sunday’s win, according to ESPN Analytics.
However, Sanders summed up the overall mood of the team, saying, “This is a great success. It’s been a long time. But it’s not over yet.”
