January 16, 2023
It's the easiest path to the Super Bowl, right?
Well, in theory at least.
The win in their regular-season finale against the Giants gave the Eagles a 14-3 record for the year and, finally, everything else they were after: The NFC East title and the NFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs, which meant home-field advantage throughout and an increasingly valuable first-round bye.
Jalen Hurts, Lane Johnson, Avonte Maddox, and everyone else on the roster who needed it got an extra week to heal up along with the assurance that the road to Arizona requires a stop through Lincoln Financial Field.
It sounds like a recipe for smooth sailing to the finish line, but history has proven that it's anything but.
Going back through the last 20 years, the top seed, in either conference, has often meant little when it comes to crowning the Super Bowl champion.
Lopsided records, routine blowouts, MVP campaigns? Doesn't matter. Once you're in the playoffs, anything goes – timely hot streaks, blown calls... Ricky Manning... all of it.
So the 2022 Eagles have the No. 1 seed now. What they make of it is all on them beginning Saturday night in what will be Round 3 against Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, and the Giants.
As a means of reference, here are all the NFC's No. 1 seeds and how far they went from the past 20 seasons (plus a few notes at the end):
| Season | NFC No. 1 Seed (W-L) | Result | Super Bowl Champion (Rk) |
| 2022 | Eagles (14-3) | ??? | ??? |
| 2021 | Green Bay (13-4) | Lost Divisional Round | LA Rams (4, NFC) |
| 2020 | Green Bay (13-3) | Lost NFC Championship | Tampa Bay (5, NFC) |
| 2019 | San Francisco (13-3) | Lost Super Bowl | Kansas City (2, AFC) |
| 2018 | New Orleans (13-3) | Lost NFC Championship | New England (2, AFC) |
| 2017 | Eagles (13-3) | Won Super Bowl | Eagles (1, NFC) |
| 2016 | Dallas (13-3) | Lost Divisional Round | New England (1, AFC) |
| 2015 | Carolina (15-1) | Lost Super Bowl | Denver (1, AFC) |
| 2014 | Seattle (12-4) | Lost Super Bowl | New England (1, AFC) |
| 2013 | Seattle (13-3) | Won Super Bowl | Seattle (1, NFC) |
| 2012 | Atlanta (13-3) | Lost NFC Championship | Baltimore (4, AFC) |
| 2011 | Green Bay (15-1) | Lost Divisional Round | NY Giants (4, NFC) |
| 2010 | Atlanta (13-3) | Lost Divisional Round | Green Bay (6, NFC) |
| 2009 | New Orleans (13-3) | Won Super Bowl | New Orleans (1, NFC) |
| 2008 | NY Giants (12-4) | Lost Divisional Round | Pittsburgh (2, AFC) |
| 2007 | Dallas (13-3) | Lost Divisional Round | NY Giants (5, NFC) |
| 2006 | Chicago (13-3) | Lost Super Bowl | Indianapolis (3, AFC) |
| 2005 | Seattle (13-3) | Lost Super Bowl | Pittsburgh (6, AFC) |
| 2004 | Eagles (13-3) | Lost Super Bowl | New England (2, AFC) |
| 2003 | Eagles (12-4) | Lost NFC Championship | New England (1, AFC) |
• The 2017 Eagles are the last No. 1 seed to go and win the whole thing, but there's something important to remember about that team: At no point were they ever really treated like a No. 1 seed. Because of Carson Wentz's ACL tear and other significant injuries, few outside of Philadelphia took the Eagles seriously. The Falcons, Vikings, and then the Patriots were all favored over them in the playoffs – which was rare for a 13-3 team – but in the end, Nick Foles, Doug Pederson, dog masks, and the "next man up" mentality were what left with the trophy.
• A breakdown of NFC No. 1 seeds from 2003-2021: six lost in the Divisional Round, four won their Divisional Round game, six won the NFC Championship, and just three went on to win the Super Bowl.
• The Eagles clinching the top seed in the conference four times over the past 20 seasons is a pretty impressive testament to their long-term consistency. Only Seattle and Green Bay come close to that mark, doing it three times each.
• Dallas coasting through the regular season then bowing out immediately is peak Dallas.
• Across the NFC and AFC, a one-seed has won the Super Bowl seven times. The Patriots were three of them (2003, 2014, 2016).
• 2003... Ricky Manning, dude...
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