At some point while growing up, we all had a mother or grandmother warn us about the dangers of using words like ‘hate’. You all remember what we were told. ‘Never say you hate someone.’ It sounded like great advice, but then we all discovered football, and we learned something. Falling in love with the Philadelphia Eagles made it impossible not to hate the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys.

Now, we all say things like ‘I hate Dallas’, and each time it happens, it seems normal and natural. It rolls off the tongue so well. Try it… ‘I hate the Giants… Do you see how great that felt?

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Big Blue and the so-called America’s Team have drawn the ire of Birds fans for years, but over time, annual events like the NFL Playoffs can help birth extended rivalries. While everyone may not feel this way, we can guarantee many of you have close friends and relatives who have developed a strong dislike for the San Francisco 49ers.

While the Niners aren’t a traditional Eagles rival, they have become slightly irritating recently. Maybe it was that NFC Championship Game. You know the one. San Francisco’s quarterback got knocked out of the game. They were taken to task, and they and their fans couldn’t accept the loss and move on.

Nothing is promised in this game, and while it’s too early to make guarantees about anything, we can offer our predictions. If one NFL projection crafted recently is correct, there stands a chance that the Birds and 49ers may cross paths during the postseason again.

Eagles and 49ers are both expected to produce 12-win regular seasons

Persusing the timeline and web at this time of year can lead to some intriguing discoveries. One was found on Bleacher Reports. They tried their hand at predicting each division’s standings for the 2025-26 NFL season.

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In the National Football Conference, the Green Bay Packers claimed the NFC North’s crown while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers again claimed the NFC South. The Eagles and 49ers claimed the NFC East and NFC West, respectively. Boh finished with a 12-5 record. Philadelphia claims home-field advantage. Most Birds fans will love that. Maurice Moton, the writer of this one, names one question mark.

“New offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is the biggest question mark in Philadelphia. The first-time play-caller must optimize the plethora of talent on that side of the ball. Nevertheless, the Eagles’ wealth of offensive talent could overcome any play-calling inefficiencies.”

We throw the challenge flag here. We’ll throw a couple. One, the transition from Kellen Moore to Kevin Patullo will be smooth, smoother than some believe. He has too many weapons to fail. As far as the 49ers winning the NFC South… That too may prove to be erroneous. The league seems to be catching up to Kyle Shanahan, and San Fran has gotten old in a hurry. Many of their best players are past their prime. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams appear to be on the upswing.

Much of the Rams‘ success will hinge on how much Matt Stafford has left in the tank, but even if he isn’t what he once was, L.A. has an answer. Backup quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett are both good enough to win some games if necessary.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles projected to tie the win total of a familiar NFC opponent