Tough Times

As Charles Dickens famously said, it was the worst of times, it was the worsterer of times. That’s the way things feel in regard to the Eagles right now. There are all kinds of issues from Sunday’s debacle. There are questions about what will happen next Sunday. The playoffs are two weeks away, but nobody feels good about that right now. Then we’ll have all kinds of questions about the offseason.

Football is supposed to be a fun distraction from real life, right?

Ugh.

There is an upside to losing 4 out of 5 games. Jeff Lurie, Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni will go into the offseason knowing some things need to be changed and/or fixed. If you think back to 2010, that team had some flaws, but Andy Reid and the front office focused on the highs. They made moves to put that team over the top. The 2011 Eagles started 4-8 before getting hot and finishing at 8-8.

There won’t be any cherrypicking with this season. The issues are blatanly obvious to everyone. That doesn’t mean solving them will be easy or that we’ll all agree on what should be done. The 10-1 start will be a distant memory. The focus will be on the blowout losses to SF and Dallas, as well as the choke jobs against Seattle and Arizona. Your suffering will not be ignored.

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More than a few people are talking about whether Nick Sirianni should be fired. I don’t think things have gotten to the point where you fire him. It may sound good to hold someone accountable, but you have to follow that up with the question of who replaces him. There is no guarantee you’re going to find a better coach.

I do think Sirianni will need to have good answers for Howie and Lurie in the offseason. Too many fans and media people get frustrated with Sirianni’s non-answers in his press conferences. That is Coachspeak 101. Go read Finding the Winning Edge by Bill Walsh. Coaches have one message behind closed doors and another one for the public. You don’t air all your dirty laundry. You keep that in house.

Just because Sirianni isn’t ripping guys in the media doesn’t mean he’s blind. Watch his actions. Quez’s playing time went down in a big way the last two games. That’s not an accident. That’s Sirianni telling him his performance isn’t good enough.

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The biggest thing for Sirianni is explaining what happened to the defense. Part is personnel, part is scheme. Part might be leadership. He needs to be able to present a plan for how this stuff is getting fixed. This is hard to watch.

This Eagles defense

1) Too Easy
2) Interior dominated
3) Someone shed a blocker@GetUpESPN pic.twitter.com/ED6HuG8Uqr

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 1, 2024

.@AZCardinals @JamesConner_ and his improving offensive line chopped and diced and bulldozed their way through the @Eagles defensive front all afternoon. Happy New Year to a group that did nothing but improve all year. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/RL2KkWV47p

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) January 1, 2024

Getting lit up is bad. When it looks easy for the other team, that is unacceptable.

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Howie will have some things to answer for as well. The back seven is a mess. The front office took calculated gambles on some players and they just haven’t worked out this year. I understand that when you pay a QB big money you’ll have to cut corners in some other spots. But there are too many whiffs.

Maybe there is some disconnect between the personnel staff and the defensive staff. All I know is that the performance by the back seven is a huge issue and has hurt the team all year long.

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I am curious to see how the Eagles respond this week. There is enough talent and leadership on this team that they should be able to regroup and focus on the task at hand. Go beat the Giants and play with some pride. Close the regular season on a positive note.

Dallas plays a struggling Washington team on Sunday. If the Cowboys win, as they should, they’ll be division champs and the #2 seed. That game is at the same time as the Eagles. Sirianni talked about trying to get his team out of their rut, regardless of what that means for seeding and the division. He wants to play to win.

No one will have any confidence in the Eagles in the playoffs regardless of what happens on Sunday. How could you after seeing them get out-physicaled by the Cardinals?

Sirianni isn’t worried about perception. He’s focused on trying to get his guys a bit of confidence as they head to the postseason.

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If you want to cleanse your palate and see some good defense, here you go.

36 years ago this week, a historic season concluded for Reggie White.

12 games, TWENTY-ONE sacks.

The Minister of Defense, the new ESPN 30 for 30, is now streaming on @ESPNPlus. pic.twitter.com/iJ4g59GgK1

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) December 29, 2023

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