Story byJohn StolnisMon, January 12, 2026 at 5:54 PM UTC·16 min readYou could see it coming. Entering Sunday afternoon’s wild card match-up with the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field, Eagles fans who had watched an entire season of uneven and frustrating performances that ultimately culminated with an 11-6 record and second straight NFC East title held onto the hope that the Birds would “flip the switch” and go on another postseason run. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe talent was there. Offensively, we’d seen them do something similar a season ago in the playoffs, and there were high-priced, marquee names on the backs of those jerseys. The defense had been playing at an elite level throughout the second half of the season.