Eagles Facing Worst Defense in the NFL Playoffs

The controversy swirled around Nick Sirianni and his decision to rest starters in Week 18.

While the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t land their ideal seeding preference, they did draw an NFC Wild Card Round matchup against the worst defense of the 14 teams that qualified for the NFL Playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers lost three of their best starters on defense in 2025. While the unit held up for stretches of the season, a deep dive into the numbers exposes a golden opportunity for Jalen Hurts and a struggling Eagles offense to capitalize on a vulnerable opponent.

The wounded 49ers defense lost All-Pro talents Fred Warner and Nick Bosa and rookie first-rounder Mykel Williams with season-ending injuries by November. Previous standouts like Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw also left the fierce defense that rivaled the Eagles in 2022 and 2023.

San Francisco's respectable finish with the 13th-ranked scoring defense and the 20th-ranked defense by total yardage led Geoff Mosher as a guest on 97.5 The Fanatic to compliment defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for adjusting to his personnel.

However, the advanced stats that isolate the unit’s impact from the advantages given to them by a prolific offense paint a different picture. The 49ers ranked 25th in opponent EPA – which measures the execution of a play versus the NFL's average gain on comparable down and distance – and dead last in success rate – the percentage of positive EPA plays.

San Francisco’s defensive numbers rank especially low relative to other playoff teams.

The 49ers shut down the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns entering the bye in Week 14. Their offense hit its stride after the break, but the defense plummeted. They followed up three ugly performances by stabilizing with a solid defensive effort in a Week 18 loss against the Seattle Seahawks.

NFL defenses that struggle with personnel deficiencies sometimes mask their weaknesses with splash plays to disrupt opponents’ drives with one key turning point.

The 49ers ranked dead last in the NFL with 20 sacks. The Eagles comparatively ranked 15th with 42 sacks. Philadelphia castoff Bryce Huff finished tied for the team lead with 4.0 sacks. While veteran Deommodore Lenoir is a solid threat in the defensive backfield, San Francisco also finished tied for 23rd in takeaways.

A less than fantastic offensive performance from the most expensive unit in the NFL became the talk of the town in Philadelphia this season. The Eagles failed to establish the same dominant physical running game that led them to Super Bowl LIX.

Hurts and the maligned Eagles offense have faced other struggling defenses this season with the “get right game” narrative circulating.

The Dallas Cowboys in Week 12 and the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 were formidable opponents with major defensive weaknesses. The Eagles executed well on their early drives in both games. They also proved incapable of in-game adjustments against competitive teams.

Dallas confused the Eagles with a five-man defensive front that stunted the offense’s momentum. Buffalo stacked the box to contain Saquon Barkley and forced Hurts and the passing game into a task they couldn’t handle.

Tune-ups against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15 and the Washington Commanders in Week 16 gave the Eagles offense the opportunity to rack up style points against opponents with insurmountable weaknesses on both sides of the ball. The victories required no complementary football, and the Eagles failed to substantiate any offensive progress from the pair of wins with a dreadful performance in Buffalo on December 28.

The 49ers will present a similar challenge as the Bills as a talented playoff team with an underwhelming defense.

Will Jalen Hurts and a struggling offense rise to the occasion like they did during the NFL Playoffs after the 2024 season? Or will the struggling 49ers defense push the city of Philadelphia into oblivion by exposing an offense that’s come under intense scrutiny by the most passionate fan base in professional sports?