PHILADELPHIA — Following back-to-back embarrassing losses, the Eagles are officially in crisis.
They blew a two-score lead against the Los Angeles Rams at home six days after getting routed by the Bears in Chicago.
Much of the problem starts with the offense. Through four games, the numbers are in. And they’re not good.
Sean Mannion’s offense ranks 29th in gross passing yards (713), 15th in rushing yards (436), 30th in total yards (1,079) and tied for 18th with nine touchdowns.
Even worse, the Birds are 31st in net passing yards (643) because Jalen Hurts has been sacked 12 times behind a porous, patchwork offensive line. He had a miniscule 68 net passing yards against L.A.
“I don’t think we really know our identity of what we want to be,” coach Nick Sirianni said Monday. “We know where we’re going, we know what we need to be able to do, but there’s still some identity questions that we still have to continue to answer as we continue through this.”
An offense that showed flashes of great potential the first two weeks has actually regressed. The Birds are inept in short yardage and scoreless in the second half the last two weeks. And quarterback Jalen Hurts looks flatout uncomfortable operating the system.
When Hurts said the problem was execution — a word he repeated at least seven or eight times — it sounded overly simple, but he was right. He is hesitant and not executing the offense, and as a group the Eagles aren’t operating cleanly. That includes Cam Jurgens, a natural center, who is struggling out of position at left guard (where he received no reps in the preseason).
“We’re finding our flow of things, and ultimately, it comes down to execution,” Hurts said. “I think everyone in the locker room would say that, and everyone will look internally first with that. So, (it’s about) controlling the things that we can control and being better at executing.”
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper (80) cannot make the catch on a fourth-down pass in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The defense, which came up with two picks and held L.A.’s top-rated attack in check most of the game, fell apart late — including giving up a 98-yard touchdown drive. Perhaps the unit was gassed because the Eagles’ offense was 0-for-12 on third down and 1-for-4 on fourth.
Injuries continued to stack up, and that’s real. It’s tough to win in the NFL when many of your best players aren’t on the field.
The Birds entered without DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Zack Baun, Fred Johnson, Hollywood Brown, Marcus Epps and Landon Dickerson, plus Lane Johnson for personal reasons. And during the game, Saquon Barkley, Quinyon Mitchell, Jonathan Greenard and Tank Bigsby all went down.
But when you have a 10-point lead and the opponent pinned at its own 2-yard line with 6:45 remaining, the injury excuse doesn’t hold up.
“The biggest thing is finishing the game,” cornerback Cooper DeJean said. “We’ve got to finish drives at the end of the game to hold our lead. Whatever’s going on in the game, it’s on the defense. It’s on us, and we’ve got to be able to close it out.”
Two years ago, the Birds had a Week 5 bye to reset and went on a Super Bowl run. There’s no such reprieve this season. Their bye isn’t until Week 10 — nearly a month and a half away — and in the meantime they face the likes of Jacksonville, Carolina, Dallas and the New York Giants, teams that are all in the playoff hunt.
The Jaguars, Panthers and Giants are in first place in their respective divisions, and the Cowboys are neck-and-neck with the Eagles in the NFC East, behind New York.
“It’s never just one thing,” Sirianni said. “We’re working through that of what our best answers are, what our best solutions are. That’s what today’s is about: to watch the tape, to figure out what went wrong, what went right, to hold everybody accountable, yourself first, then coaches and players, and then move on and get better from it. No doubt, we do have to get better from it and find solutions to it.
“When you haven’t been consistent enough in both coaching and playing, then you are searching for the things that you’re supposed to do well. There were good moments as well, but not nearly as consistent as we want it to be. That’s every phase of what’s happening on offense right now.”
With a 2-2 record, it’s too early to panic. The problem is, the Eagles have been trending in the wrong direction.
Notes
• Sirianni offered no status update on Lane Johnson or any of the injured players. However, in another blow, Jurgens is now in concussion protocol, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo later reported.
Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard (ankle) is considered day-to-day while running back Tank Bigsby will land on IR and requires core muscle surgery, which could sideline him for six weeks, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Saquon Barkley (hamstring) could miss this week’s game, which would leave Will Shipley as the only healthy running back. The Eagles could elevate Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele and/or Jaydon Blue from the practice squad.
The Eagles will release their first injury report of the week Wednesday evening.
• The Eagles are leaving for London, which is five hours ahead, on Friday. They play the Jaguars Sunday at 2:30 p.m. local time (9:30 a.m. ET).
“We felt like leaving Friday was best for our team,” Sirianni said. “A lot of research obviously went into it. I’ve discussed these things with you about short weeks, long weeks, rain weeks, hot weeks, whatever it may be, international weeks, of how to go about it.
“We’re trying to get a full week’s worth of practice in before we go up there.”
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.