The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-1 following their comeback win over the New Orleans Saints, but we find ourselves in nearly identical waters to the ones waded last year. Nick Sirianni is still steering that same ship and if he doesn’t change course soon, the fate of the journey could be identical.
Eagles might be 2-1…but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows
At this point last year, the narrative was the same. One half of the fanbase was ecstatic due to the hot start, others saw the writing on the wall. The Eagles consistently dug themselves holes only to clamber back out in the dramatic fashion to salvage a win and applaud the resilience shown. Like a House being built on a foundation of Straw, there are only so many storms that can be endured.
After Nick Sirianni’s play-calling had been criticized all season, he relinquished duties and in turn kept his role as Head Coach. His sole responsibility on the field now is a simple one – managing the game. However, even that is proving to be difficult.
The Eagles were slow out of the gates against the Packers and were lucky not to be down by multiple touchdowns in the first quarter. Sirianni opted against an early 3 points which could well have been critical late on, just as they were against the Falcons when the same thing occurred.
Fast forward one more week and Sirianni’s decision to not take 3 points to tie things up against New Orleans with the clock drawing down in the 2nd quarter almost had catastrophic results. Some late individual excellence and a remarkable defensive performance saved his skin, but this is just the latest in a growing trend.
Jalen Hurts has more turnovers than any other quarterback since the beginning of last season. The Eagles have continued to give up 4th quarter leads late and consequently lose the game due to confusing risk-taking precautions that didn’t pay off earlier on. With Nick Sirianni’s role now marginalized, the damage feels even more visible.
Should Nick Sirianni be held accountable?
While he can’t be criticized for play-calls, the decisions to run the ball on 3rd and medium, and pass before the sticks on 3rd and long have to be questioned. Kellen Moore might be calling the shots, but he answers to Sirianni, who would naturally be the fall-guy this season given the lifeline he was afforded.
Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, and a relentless defense saved the day against the Saints. A win is a win, and it’s easy to overlook growing concerns while the victories stack up. But we’ve been here before. The troubles of 2023 went unaddressed and culminated in a monumental collapse. For a coaching staff so insistent on preaching accountability, there is a bizarre lack of it when it comes to ironing out the same kinks that chained them down one year ago.
To say that the Eagles’ Head Coach is on borrowed time would be a little extreme. But the pressure is almost certainly building. This roster is too talented, the offense too explosive, and the defense has a ceiling all too high for this team to be scraping out wins and costing themselves victories elsewhere.
With injuries now likely hampering the offense across the board after that gruelling win, there has never been a window where Sirianni’s coaching competency will be more visible. If the Eagles are down a wideout or two, or a lineman or two, and find a way to beat the Bucs handedly this weekend, then it will restore confidence in his abilities. But if the penalty flags continue to fly, the confusing play-calls linger, and the execution falter, the group might be lacking one too many elite playmakers to make up for the mistakes constantly produced at the hands of the Head Coach.
While it might just be a week 4 game to many, for Nick Sirianni, a loss here could have some worrying implications.
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
