Philadelphia’s aspirations of becoming back-to-back Super Bowl champions came crashing down on Sunday evening, as the San Francisco 49ers dispatched the Eagles 23-19 in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.
The defending champions began promisingly against a depleted San Francisco defence, yet their attacking prowess evaporated after the interval.
A mere six points in the second half proved woefully insufficient for a side boasting considerable firepower across all positions.
The contrast with their opponents proved particularly stark. San Francisco, despite missing key offensive weapons, executed brilliantly in crucial moments, including a cleverly designed trick play that resulted in a touchdown.
Jason Kelce was furious after the Eagles crashed out of the playoffs
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For Philadelphia, a roster brimming with talent simply failed to deliver when the stakes were highest.
Former Eagles centre Jason Kelce, now working as an NFL analyst, offered a robust defence of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo during his ESPN appearance on Monday evening.
“I know that everybody is out on Kevin Patullo. I happen to know the guy. I love Kevin Patullo. I know he’s a great coach,” Kelce declared.
The retired lineman acknowledged the attack had underperformed throughout the campaign, yet refused to lay blame at the coaches’ door.
“They had the No. 1 highest-paid offense in the league and were mediocre across the board. That’s unacceptable,” he continued.
Philadelphia Eagles were beaten 23-19 by the San Francisco 49ers
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“They had their chances to win that game yesterday, and they — the players — didn’t make the plays.”
Kelce’s ESPN colleague Marcus Spears echoed the sentiment that players bore responsibility, though he directed particular criticism at the crucial fourth-and-11 play that sealed Philadelphia’s fate.
“This is the playoffs. It’s on the line and you don’t go to your $100 million receiver that’s in man-to-man coverage,” Spears argued.
The analyst expressed bewilderment that quarterback Jalen Hurts attempted to thread a pass to tight end Dallas Goedert rather than targeting his premium wide receivers.
“I don’t care if he dropped passes earlier in the game. I don’t care what the situation is. Even DeVonta, your first-round draft pick that you paid is out there singled-up,” Spears added, questioning why the ball was thrown into congested coverage with three defenders surrounding the intended target.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was defended by Jason Kelce
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Kelce’s defence of Patullo provoked swift condemnation from the Eagles faithful on social media platforms.
“How are you defending his play-calling?” demanded one supporter, whilst another wrote: “Kevin Patullo is clueless. Yeah, the players made mistakes, but how can you defend those routes on the biggest play of the game?”
Head coach Nick Sirianni addressed questions regarding his offensive coordinator’s future but offered little clarity.
The 49ers face the Seahawks next in the playoffs
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“There will be time to evaluate everybody’s performance,” he stated, expressing concern for those in the dressing room who had worked tirelessly.
Reports suggest the Eagles may entertain offers for wide receiver A.J. Brown ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, though Sirianni’s own position appears secure for now.
