Given how the Eagles closed out the regular season, tonight’s Buccaneers matchup doubles as one of the more fascinating playoff openers in years. The defending NFC champions run the risk of becoming a central figure when the subject of Super Bowl-losing hangovers comes up.
Staff changes are believed to be on the table for the Eagles, and it should be considered likely they will have three defensive coordinators in three years soon. But the top domino in this equation still does not appear poised to fall. Nick Sirianni is not believed to be on the hot seat, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
This would be the case even if the Eagles lose to the No. 4-seeded Bucs, who are 9-8 and only secured a home game due to the NFC South’s status as one of the worst divisions in NFL history over the past two years. The Eagles, however, are 11-6 after dropping five of their past six. Sirianni, who is closing out his third season on the job, has presided over one of the more memorable late-season swoons in recent NFL history.
Although Philadelphia’s defensive issues have come under fire, Jalen Hurts — Brotherly Shove touchdowns notwithstanding — has not followed up his breakthrough campaign with another step forward. Playing through injury this season, Hurts has seen his numbers drop across the board. Interceptions represent the figure that has skyrocketed, with the fourth-year QB’s 15 picks matching his past two seasons combined. The recently extended quarterback did not earn a Pro Bowl invite, and ESPN.com’s Tim McManus notes a disconnect between Hurts and the offensive staff has emerged.
The Eagles replaced two-year play-caller Shane Steichen with Hurts’ position coach, Brian Johnson, who has known the dual-threat QB for most of his life. While Johnson has received multiple requests for HC interviews, the Eagles are limping into the playoffs. Hurts has grown frustrated with an Eagles overreliance on vertical routes that require A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to win one-on-one matchups, per McManus, who adds just 5.2% of Hurts’ pass attempts came on between-the-hashes throws this season — lowest among qualified QBs. Brown is set to miss tonight’s game with the injury he sustained in Week 18, ratcheting up the pressure on Hurts.
Others, however, attribute this Hurts-staff disconnect to the Steichen-to-Johnson OC change, with McManus also indicating Johnson has attempted to fit his concepts into Sirianni’s scheme. That reminds of the Panthers’ situation, which crumbled in part because of the team attempting to pair OC Thomas Brown‘s philosophy with Frank Reich‘s scheme. While the Eagles are a few tiers north of what happened in Charlotte this year, their fall from 10-1 to the No. 5 seed has been puzzling.
Sirianni’s decision to demote Sean Desai and give much of his responsibilities to Matt Patricia has not produced an improvement, though McManus adds the switch initially provided relief to some defensive players. Locker-room tension helped produce the defensive switch, but McManus, citing finger-pointing on both sides of the ball, adds multiple players-only meetings have taken place.
This paints a grim picture for the Eagles’ chances of defending their NFC title, but Sirianni did both lead the Eagles on a surprise playoff journey in 2021 — after the final Doug Pederson–Carson Wentz season brought a freefall — and move the team to being within a disputed defensive holding penalty from having a chance to win Super Bowl LVII.
It would be shocking if the Eagles moved on so soon, even with the team having fired Pederson three years after his Super Bowl LII conquest and canning Andy Reid in the past. Should the Eagles follow the 2022 Cowboys’ lead and topple the Bucs in Round 1, Sirianni would seem safer. Barring a remarkable turnaround, though, the team’s December and January issues are likely to define the upcoming offseason.
This guy is a clown
He may be a clown but how do you justify firing a coach who just a year ago took you to a SB and finished 11-6 a season later?
If they go out and lay an egg today and get blown out by the 9-8 Bucs, the justification gets a lot easier. They’ve been one of the worst teams in football over the last six weeks; 1-5 record (only win against the Tyrod Taylor Giants) with the defense in shambles (thank you Matt Patricia) and a predictable offense that doesn’t make a lot of adjustments. They squandered the division away.
Maybe they should fire their coordinators, get some veteran ones, and give him another year, but if they fail today, I bet most of the fanbase will be fine if he gets fired.
Sirianni’s situation illuminates how ludicrous the incessant search for the “right” HC has become. What, exactly, is the head coach’s job and how do you measure his performance? Most descriptions are laden with platitudes, cliches, and deflections. The only number that seems to matter is winning games, and, more important, when you win them. Mike McCarthy was fired in Green Bay, hired in Dallas, produces several winning seasons in a row, loses big to the Packers last night, and now distressed fans and smug analysts are calling for his head. What, exactly, did he do wrong, except to lose the big one? Does that make him less of a coach? Did he become stupid or incompetent sometime between Sunday morning and Sunday night? Or consider Dan Quinn, a former head coach, now the Dallas DC, rumored to be candidate for another HC position somewhere. But why might he be the “right” guy today, when he was the wrong guy for the team that fired him? Or how about BB? After all the success of the Patriots during the Brady years, the team has fallen on hard times. Now he’s out in New England. Critics say he got too much credit for their Super Bowl wins, that he had the advantage of Brady, The Greatest of All Time, which is another way of saying that winning depends on the players on the field. And as bad as BB has purportedly become, he nevertheless stokes interest from several clubs looking to make him the new head coach. Somehow the wrong guy in New England might nonetheless be the right guy somewhere else.
I think with McCarthy expectations are obviously high – and it’s about ‘doing less with more.’ Again.
@ realsox / I would say that a lot of these searches for the “right guy” are just exercises in self preservation and an attempt to placate disappointed fans. As long as a GM “appears” to be seeking solutions to a problem then he can avoid being targeted himself.
Sumthin wasn’t right dwn stretch run 4eagles. Maybe players tuning out HCs message ? Did he lose the room ? What u did 4team last yr only buys u so much capital when u nosedive like they have. If Philly lays another turd 2nite we’ll see whose heads on chopping block.
He’s a total clown, hitting coaches and players, he’s belligerent all the time, he’s lost the clubhouse, he has no ability to adjust, the offense is a one trick pony and he has no plan on defense.
I suspect they will hire new OC and DC (who are experienced). Maybe even someone who can take over the following year if they crap the bed again next season.
Written by AI (Amazingly Incompetent)
I figured his job would be safe. now if they go out and get embarrassed like the Cowboys did then that talk become a little bit louder. regardless if the Eagles win or lose tonight both of our coordinators have got to be replaced no if ands or buts about it
Hurts didn’t take a step forward? You act like he took a huge step backwards by referencing macro stats dropping. Started 1 and 5 ended 11 and 6 and in the playoffs. The offense had a 1,000 yard rusher, two 1,000 yard receivers. Outside of the increased INT’s the guy has played better than most QBs in the league. He tied for 2nd in approximate value for the season at 18.
Have you watched the games? His effort at times is very lackluster, especially when running.
Like tonight, his effort sucks at times, like he’s playing in a fog. The play before the safety could’ve been avoided if he made any attempt at blocking or even getting in the way of the tackler once the RB reversed course. Then that safety was horrible, you can’t eat it there.
Last night’s game wasn’t great. Throughout the season and even last night’s game I think is more attributed to poor coaching than Hurts’ play. The guy wins games and plays well and has always been a great teammate from Alabama to Oklahoma, and now Philly according to just about anything I have read. Maybe that has shifted this year, but I think the coaching is the problem here.
Maybe Hurts is too comfortable if anything, and a more hard nosed coach would be a better fit.
I definitely get the impression that Hurts thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. They gave him the ability to change plays and I think he does it too often, thinking he’s got a better plan. Then he holds onto the ball too long. He clearly has not progressed. It’s right in front of you.
Maybe hire a real OC and not a close friend to the QB.
Get an actual DC too.
Given the unexpected firings of Mike Vrabel and Pete Carroll that Nick Sirianni will be gone by morning if the Eagles lose tonight.
Every assistant, especially Patricia may be canned though
I certainly friggin hope so.
Coulda squeezed out a couple more rings with Pederson.
They gave up on him too soon. Player like Wentz were the problem not Doug. Laurie had a hard time firing him but that is BS bc he’s a billionaire owner and is supposed to be a boss.
Siriani needs to go. I don’t care if he took a team to the Super Bowl last year. He is only as good as his coordinators and they stink and exposed him as a non leader and HC with the skill or ability to override bad game planning and play calls on both sides of the ball. He proved he is really just a head coach builder if his coordinators are good. And he can be fired. Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl and they canned him. This is a win now league. Stick with Siriani another year and the eagles will be set back at least 3 years. If he’s kept, you have to hire an older good set of O and D coordinators or the best young guys that will leave come 2025 so basically, the team is the. In the same spot. So what is Siriani a HC trainer, mentor, coach? That’s not what he’s paid for. He goes. If he’s let go really who cares? He’s well paid and not a cutting edge mind like a Mcvay or McDaniel or guy like that. Siriani was hired bc he was a yes man for Howie and Jeffrey willing to follow their rules to get a job. Doug pushed back years ago, challenged Howie and Jeffrey sided with his adopted son Howie. Bad decision.
The Eagles are committed to Hurts and I’m fine with that. He needs to improve but is well above average. I think he played hurt much of the season. The play calling has been incredibly bad and predictable. The coaching staff needs a complete overhaul save for Stoutland and maybe the Special Teams coach. Howie’s dumpster diving for Linebackers and Safeties also really came back to bite them. Bradberry and Slay are toast. If they can get a head coach like Vrabel I think he can turn this around. Sirianni totally lost the team and has to go.