Ranking Every Eagles Playoff Loss by Postgame Depression Since I’ve Been a Fan: Part 1
In the fall of 2003, I became emotionally invested to a concerning degree about a team named the Philadelphia Eagles. I’ve experienced the highs of seeing my team hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first two times in its franchise history. For fans of other NFL teams, the lows typically take form in the shape of a twelve-loss season or an injury to a star player. For Philadelphia sports fans, the lows regularly question your dedication and, more often than not, your sanity. These include the palpable dread of never feeling like a substantial lead is safe, a season with high expectations quickly turning into a season from Hell, and perpetually worrying about the cloud of drama that casts its shadow over the team. But, to be a devout Philly sports fan, one must be willing to be a masochist. The recent loss to the 49ers in the Wild Card round ended a season that featured all three of these lows in some capacity. So instead of going to therapy or finding a more productive hobby, I have decided to rank the Eagles’ playoff losses during my time as a fan from the least to most depressing. This four-part series will highlight the emotional turmoil I endured throughout each playoff loss and all the awful plays that still infuriate me years later.
Criteria:
For Part 1, these games hurt to lose, but the pain of them stemmed from something beyond the game itself. Plus, all teams aren’t created equal. While all of these losses on the entire list stung in their own special way, some of these Eagles squads provided more belief in a potential Super Bowl run that ultimately led to a more severe heartbreak than others. Only one of the following teams really provided more than a sliver of belief in a playoff run lasting past January.
Only playoff losses are included, so the Super Bowl wins and losses that eliminated the Eagles from playoff contention in the regular season will not appear in these rankings.
#13: 2023: Buccaneers 32 Eagles 9
I mentioned a season from Hell earlier. This particular season was signed, sealed and delivered by Lucifer himself. After a 10-1 start to the season, the Eagles only win the rest of the season came on Christmas in a victory over the Giants that was more irritating than merry. The 2023 season was highlighted by a blown division lead, inept coordinators, and the lingering disappointment of a Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. While I lacked belief in a Super Bowl Run, I still believed the Eagles could at least defeat a 9-8 Buccaneers team that they defeated earlier in the season. That belief faded quickly as the Eagles looked lifeless from the opening kickoff. The linebackers played with the motor skills of a fifteen-year-old dog. Baker Mayfield humanely took them around back and put them out of their misery. The Eagles 2023 season and Jason Kelce’s career ended in humiliation. While the season as a whole was quite depressing, this loss brought me hope as I knew heads would roll and Howie Roseman would need to make substantial improvements to the roster.
#12: 2021 Buccaneers 31 Eagles 15
Following a tumultuous 2020 season, I was just happy that the team could rebound quickly and return to the playoffs. While I found an upset win against the reigning champs to be an unrealistic demand, I would always have belief in my team going up against Tom Brady after the Super Bowl 52 victory over the Patriots in 2017. This game never felt close. A vindictive Brady sliced the Eagles defense apart like a Karate instructor. You probably expected Jiu-Jitsu there, but I’m proud to report that this blog will not take hacky cheap shots at the greatest quarterback in NFL history even if he has an obsession with eternal youth and an obscene amount of plastic surgery. Anywho, this loss hurt primarily because it made me not only question if Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts could guide the Birds to the promised land, but also if they could even lead them back to just being contenders.
#11: 2025 49ers 23 Eagles 19
This season felt off since the thunder delay in the first game. It didn’t help when A.J. Brown became a locker room black hole of media drama. Somehow more frustratingly, we all watched as the record-setting rushing offense that consistently achieved long gains on the ground in 2024 now had to put up twice the effort for half the yards. The rushing offense played well in this game, but offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was still able to find a way to cement his legacy. After the acclaimed 2025 defense surprisingly conceded fourteen points in the final quarter, the offense with a chance at redemption for a season of inadequacy and a game-winning drive that had them at the twenty yard line of the 49ers, folded under pressure as they stayed loyal to their unimaginative play designs. Perfectly embodying their play that season, the final series of downs on offense consisted of four plays that fans saw each week in 2025. Lose a yard or two on the first two downs and set yourself up with a 3rd and long that ultimately becomes a difficult 4th and long. The offense failed to play complementary football not just for their teammates on defense and special teams, but for themselves as well. They were allergic to moderate five or six-yard gains on those first two downs all year and unsurprisingly in the end, it was their downfall. I was befuddled for a moment by what I had just witnessed on my screen, but it didn’t take long for the seventeen weeks of memories that season to remind me that they never had a chance to convert on that 4th down play. While it was a close loss, I had already realized in November that this team was not going to repeat as champions. It doesn’t hurt as much with the loss resulting in Patullo’s dismissal. Plus, securing the title last February will always hold a special place in our hearts. However, so few teams have repeated as champions, and this team squandered its opportunity to achieve that. You never know when your next trophy will be won.
#10: 2019 Seahawks 17 Eagles 9
Fuck you Jadeveon Clowney! Six years later and I’m still pissed about that dirty tackle.. Instead of having to watch his well-endowed backup put up MVP performances while he recovered from injuries, Wentz would finally get his shot to play in a playoff game and not have to be on the sidelines watching his well-endowed backup. He was in the game for a grand total of eight minutes. Clowney knocked him out of the game when he shot himself like a torpedo straight at Wentz with a direct helmet-to-helmet hit to Carson’s noggin. Could a 9-7 win an opening playoff game or even the Super Bowl? Certainly, but their chances were pretty slim when the most reliable wide receiver on the team, Greg Ward Jr., was on the practice squad at the start of the season. This game doesn’t hurt because of the result. In fact, it was strangely not the only time the Eagles lost to the Seahawks 17-9 during the 2019 season. It hurt because on top of being denied of a potential playoff moment, Carson’s career and temperament were significantly altered. Of course, I’m not qualified to diagnose anything, but all reports indicate Wentz dealt with insecurity issues during Nick Foles’s 2017 and 2018 playoff success. After this game and the second-round selection of Jalen Hurts, Carson became a negative influence in the locker room. He poor play and poor attitude resulted in the end of his tenure in Philadelphia. The potential of what the injury-riddled North Dakotan’s career could have been will always remain in question.
Also, shoutout to Josh McCown, the Eagles 2019 backup QB! The gritty veteran had his hamstring torn off the bone and he continued to play through it.