The Eagles walked away with a necessary win against the Giants on Christmas Day. At times they looked great, other times it got rough. But if there’s one thing to take away from Monday’s win is that the team is steadily improving on both sides of the ball but their old issues continue to haunt them.
The only reason that the Giants presented a threat toward the end of the game was due to two turnovers. One was a costly pick-six thrown by Jalen Hurts where Dallas Goedert lost his footing and slipped as Adoree Jackson caught the ball and took it to the end zone. The other came on a fumble by Boston Scott where he was fielding the kick-off and Olamide Zaccheaus ran into Scott forcing the ball out of his hands.
The Giants scored 14 points off of those turnovers. Without those then it’s a different ball game but even with that train of thought, the Eagles are still not where they want to be. That’s respectful even though many feel like the talk about the “standard” is getting old.
Especially when you see Nick Sirianni arguing with his players within the game. When there are leaks in the locker room about the offense being “too predictable”. A lot of the drama is starting to boil over which is causing the fanbase to be split on the third-year head coach.
Can he lead these Eagles?
Whether you like it or not, this happens. Nick Sirianni will be questioned more often than not due to the expectations that follow him. He took a 2-5 team to the playoffs and then led them to the Super Bowl in the following year. A lot is expected from a winning coach and as Jalen Hurts once said, “Heavy is the head…”
Amazingly, Nick Sirianni has a 34-15 record in three seasons with the Eagles. It shows that he knows how to push the right buttons. But Doug Pederson was 80-42 with a Super Bowl win during his time with the Eagles. He was also 29-19 after his first three seasons which makes Nick’s record that much more impressive.
Sirianni is an emotionally intelligent head coach who has the confidence to stand toe to toe with the best of them but right now is where he will truly be tested. His team is a complete mess. Their playmakers are being limited in his offense and he doesn’t have a Shane Steichen to turn to this time. It’s all on him.
Brian Johnson has been calling the plays all season and it’s been a bit of a chaotic display. Regardless of what the stats say and where the Eagles rank, the explosive plays are gone and there is no rhythm. The Eagles once had a free-flowing offense that displayed the talents of DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, Miles Sanders, and Jalen Hurts.
In a roster that has much more talent this time around, the Eagles are just stuck. Which brings Nick Sirianni to a crossroads. The same head coach who was once described to be a “yes man” to Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie but then took his team to the Super Bowl in his second season will be facing his toughest test yet.
How do you remove the weeds from the garden?
This a tall task because the weeds were hidden when the team was winning even in the ugliest of games. But after a three-game skid, the roses are being suffocated and the weeds are making their home.
Moving away from the garden analogies, the Eagles’ offense needs to find a way to breathe again. They established the run game against the Giants and used play-action to help get the passing game going. It was working until they moved away from it. That’s when it all collapsed.
The strength of this offensive line is when they are out bulldozing their opponents in the run game. Their QB and starting RB are phenomenal when they’re out on the run. Their QB is also an extraordinary player who can win from the pocket as well. They have two wide receivers that belong in the top 10 of WRs in the league. So why are they stuck?
Only one man can answer that question and it’s time for Nick Sirianni to dig deep down to find that answer. If he does then the Eagles will be Super Bowl champs but if he doesn’t, his seat will be under a microscope this offseason, and the pressure of a bounce-back season would be bigger.
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
