Eagles on verge of first back-to-back NFC East titles since 2004

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2025-12-19

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The Philadelphia Eagles are on the verge of accomplishing a feat that hasn’t been done in more than two decades: win back-to-back NFC East titles.

The last time the division had back-to-back victors was when the Eagles won four straight from 2001-04. With a win Saturday against the Washington Commanders, Philly would clinch the division.

Saquon Barkley, who has spent his entire career in the NFC East with the New York Giants and now the Eagles, knows the significance of breaking the streak.

“Being in this division for the last eight years, we know how tough it is, so to do something that hasn’t been done in 20 years is pretty cool,” Barkley said, via ESPN. “But that can’t be the focus. Obviously, that’s the goal. The focus has to be on the little things. We put ourselves in position to do it, now we have to go take advantage of it.”

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The chance to win the division comes amid questions about the reigning Super Bowl champ’s ability to make another deep postseason run.

Philly was mired in a three-game losing streak, with an offense that struggled to kick things in gear before last week’s 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Eagles offense faces another bottom-tier defense in Week 16. The Commanders have the 31st-ranked total defense in 2025 (382.6 total YPG allowed). Washington also allows 26.8 points per game in 2025 (26th in the NFL).

“I think we’re super close [to starting to play our best football] and that’s important. Everyone gets caught up in how well teams are playing in the first five games, the first half of the season. None of that matters,” Barkley said. “Obviously, it does matter because you have to give yourself a chance to compete for the playoffs and compete to win your division, but if you look at some of those teams that were the guys or the teams halfway through the year, they’re falling off.

“It’s a long season; it’s hard. Everything that we want is still out in front of us, and we can finish the season the way we want to.”

Barkley is 60 yards shy of back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing campaigns, an accomplishment he hasn’t hit since his first two seasons in New York.