Big Picture Thoughts

This is a very strange time for talking about the Eagles. They are tied for the best record in the NFL – good. They are coming off consecutive blowout losses to key rivals – bad. Is this a lull in a good season? Have the Eagles worn down? Is this a team with some fatal flaws that will limit its ceiling?

Let’s talk about the Eagles and what’s going on

Nick Sirianni is still a good coach. Jalen Hurts is still a good QB. This is still a talented roster.

When things go wrong people can overreact. Eagles fans go past that and right to OVERREACT. This is still a talented team with a lot of key pieces in place. That said, the team isn’t playing well right now. Some of the problems can be fixed. Some can’t. The Eagles might be able to overcome the problems, but only if the rest of the team executes at a high level. This team did beat MIA, DAL, KC and BUF. They can win tough games. The potential is still there. Don’t forget just how important that is.

We don’t know if the last two weeks were due to a combination of circumstances or if things have caught up with this team.

Line of scrimmage

The Eagles are built to win up front. We’ve heard that from Howie Roseman for years. That just isn’t happening right now. The OL is the most talented group in the league. They have been outstanding at times this year, but they’ve been sloppy in recent weeks. The Eagles have a ton of resources invested in the DL. That group isn’t playing at the level they need to.

Some of the OL/DL issues are on the players. Some of that is on the coaches. Sirianni and his staff need to figure out how to get back to winning the LOS. The Eagles aren’t going to do anything in the postseason if they can’t win up front. The players have to play up to their talent.

New Coordinators

Shane Steichen is one of the best play-callers in the NFL. Losing him has hurt the offense. That said, the Eagles are still 6th in scoring and 8th in yards. Those numbers were higher before playing two of the league’s best defenses in the last two weeks. Brian Johnson isn’t the problem that some make him out to be. He’s done some good things this year. He’s had some struggles as well.

Johnson is learning on the job. Steichen was in the league for a decade before coming to Philly. He was an OC prior to Philly. Johnson is in his third year in the league and his first as an NFL OC. Young coaches are going to be up and down. Jon Gruden was a lot better as Eagles OC in 1996 than he was in 1995. You have to be patient with good young coaches.

Sean Desai isn’t new to the NFL or being a DC. But he has less talent to work with on the defensive side of the ball and he’s had a lot more injuries to overcome. Desai has had some good moments, but the last three weeks have been disturbing. The Eagles have allowed 36 points a game in that stretch. Opponents had 10 straight scoring possessions (minus a kneel-down). That isn’t bad, it is awful.

The Eagles faced a trio of juggernaut offenses and didn’t have their best LB for 1.5 of those games. Still, that’s just not good enough. Desai is scrambling for answers. The defense was better in the second half of the Dallas game. They must build on that if this unit is going to wake up and start doing their part to win games.

Some fans are calling for the coordinators to be fired. That will not happen during the season and I’d be shocked if it happened in the offseason. Sirianni is picky about who he hires and he’s going to give them every chance to succeed.

Situational Football

Sirianni preaches the importance of situational football. You wouldn’t know that from watching recent weeks. The offense has struggled in the red zone, settling for FGs way too much.

The defense is dead last in the NFL on 3rd down defense. And they’ve been insanely bad the last couple of games. They are 30th in red zone defense. These are critical situations, especially against good teams. When you allow opponents to extend drives and can’t force them to settle for FGs, you will struggle. Sirianni and Desai must find some answers or it won’t matter what seed the Eagles are. You can’t win in the playoffs playing like this.

The good news is that the Eagles have shown the ability to fix things during the season. Sirianni gave up play-calling in 2021 and the offense got better. STs play improved during the 2022 season. The Eagles were 27th in the league in red zone offense early this year. They fixed that and got as high as 5th. After the last couple of weeks, they have fallen to 10th.

Misc Good Things

This is interesting: The Eagles still have the best record in the NFL vs. winning teams:

5-2 … Eagles [.714]
6-3 … Browns [.667]
5-3 … Ravens [.625]
4-3 … 49ers [.571]
4-3 … Texans [.571]
4-3 … Broncos [.571]
5-5 … Jaguars [.500]
4-4 … Chiefs [.500]
4-4 … Jets [.500]

— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) December 11, 2023

The Eagles have one of the best STs groups in the league. They punt well, kick well and return well.

The Eagles are pretty healthy. Hurts isn’t 100 percent, but he’s still out there playing. More than a few teams are on QB2 or even 3. We’ll have to wait and see if Reed Blankenship can make it back by Monday.

The schedule lightens up for the final month. The gauntlet wore the Eagles out, mentally, physically and emotionally. The final four games certainly won’t be easy, but they won’t be as daunting as facing the teams the Eagles just did. Having an extra day of rest before playing Seattle can help the team to re-charge and get ready for the final month.

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