Eagles
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Eagles look horrible. They started two-and-oh, and we convinced ourselves that a win is a win. Yes, stacking wins in the early season is definitely a good thing, but the team’s performances left a lot to be desired. Then they went into a primetime game against the Bears’ third-string quarterback and got dismantled. Fans were understandably frustrated, but bad games happen to everyone, right?
Nick Sirianni watches as the Eagles fall to the Bears, 27-7Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Week four comes along and the Eagles blow a ten-point lead to the Los Angeles Rams at home. Yes, they were without DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, and Dallas Goedert, but Jalen Hurts should be able to produce more than two hundred total yards of offense for his team, even without his top three options. The Eagles went oh-for-twelve on third down and completed less than half of their passes.
The Rams’ defense is good, but it’s not that good. The Eagles’ offense did put twenty points on the board, but they relied on their defense for everything. Mukuba takes the ball away from Stafford in the first quarter? Eagles don’t throw a single pass, gain seventeen more yards, and kick a field goal. Eagles stall out again? Jake Elliott (who has been phenomenal this season) knocks through a deep field goal.
To score their first touchdown, they needed Britain Covey to convert his longest return of the season to put them in the redzone. Their second touchdown came from another interception, this time by Cooper DeJean, setting them up well within Rams’ territory. The defense couldn’t stop the Rams at the end, but how much can a fan expect them to possibly withstand?
Rams defeat the Sirianni-coached EaglesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jalen Hurts did not play badly enough to lose that game for the Eagles; this is a Sirianni issue. Nick Sirianni’s recent ineptitude as a head coach does not come from making game-losing decisions. In fact, Nick Sirianni is one of the best coaches at not losing games. His record speaks for itself. 61-28 is absurdly good.
Rather, Nick Siranni’s recent ineptitude as a head coach comes from an inability to make the decisions that create a sustainable, winning team. In fact, it might be better for the Eagles’ long-term success if Nick Sirianni wasn’t so good at winning.
On a season-to-season basis, if Nick Sirianni is paired with a bright offensive mind, the sky is the limit for the Eagles. In the Sirianni era, the Eagles have had two elite offensive playcallers. Both times, they’ve made the Super Bowl.
The years they haven’t had an elite offensive mind, they’ve been awful. And even worse, they’ve been boring. That back-and-forth nature makes you wonder if Sirianni is really the one driving the car or if he’s asleep in the backseat.
Think of the best coaches in the NFL this year. Andy Reid, Sean McVay, Ben Johnson, Liam Coen, Kevin O’Connell, Kyle Shanahan, Kellen Moore, Klint Kubiak. All of these coaches call offensive plays for their team, and they’re good at it. The teams that have sustained success do not let their most valuable minds pursue a better job; they lock them up as a head coach.
If Nick Sirianni wasn’t so good at winning, the Eagles would have hired an “offensive genius” head coach by now.
Klint Kubiak leads the Raiders to 3-1 in his first year as a head coachCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But at the same time, never take Sirianni’s tenure for granted. He brought the Eagles to two Super Bowls and won one of them. But in the seasons when he hasn’t, the Eagles have fallen to pieces, and those seasons coincide with the years the Eagles haven’t had a top-tier offensive mind attached to Sirianni.
You can be grateful for Nick Sirianni and at the same time understand that a CEO head coach cannot bring their team to dominance on a consistent basis without offensive consistency.
If the Eagles can’t turn this offense around, it’s time to give the reins to a young offensive mind who has called plays at the highest level. But in the process, don’t give up on the Eagles. Take a deep breath, remember that Sirianni has taken 2-2 to 18-3 before, and accept that it’s a long season.
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I’m a high school student from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and an aspiring sports media professional. I may have only recently … More about Jonah Casel
Categorized:Eagles
