After the Eagles lost consecutive games to the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears, much of the scrutiny has centered on offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and their offensive line, as they have all contributed to the offense’s poor performance this season.
But Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni deserves the most criticism for the team’s and the offense’s underperformance.
Sirianni promoted Patullo to offensive coordinator after the 2024 season, and so far that decision looks like a disaster.
Heading into the team’s Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Philadelphia ranks 24th in total offense (304.8 yards per game), 22nd in passing (196.3 yards per game), 22nd in rushing (108.5 yards per game) and 18th in scoring (22.5 points per game).
While the Eagles won the Super Bowl this past February, leaving them with little time to vet outside candidates, Sirianni has now hired a first-time play caller who wasn’t ready for the role for the second time in three years — he hired and fired Brian Johnson in 2023 — and he never helped either coach turn the offense around.
Yes, Patullo calls the plays, but the two have worked together since Sirianni’s days as the Colts’ offensive coordinator, and they think alike.
“We all collectively have to do a better job and that’s going to be starting with us as coaches, starting with me as head coach, finding solutions to get the offense going, and so I’ll put that on us as a staff and put that on me most individually there to help get this thing pointed in the right direction,” Sirianni told reporters after Friday’s loss to the Bears.
Sirianni said Friday that he is not considering switching play-callers, even though it’s clear that Patullo isn’t the right fit for the job.
Due to Sirianni’s poor management decisions, the Eagles’ season could unravel.
“Obviously, if I knew exactly what it was and everything that it was, then we’d have fixed it,” Sirianni said. “But right now, we’re still searching and we’re still looking, and (there’s) a lot of football left to play. 8-4 right now. A lot of football left to play.”
What’s also concerning is that the Eagles are undisciplined with penalties and struggle to execute simple tasks.
When Sirianni’s teams were dominant in 2022 and 2024, they were detailed, tough and resilient — but that’s not the case right now, and it reflects poorly on a CEO coach who prides himself on those qualities.
Over the past two weeks, the Eagles have been flagged 16 times for 154 yards, causing many offensive drives to sputter.
The Eagles are the only team in the NFL to lose multiple games after leading by 14 or more points this season, blowing a 14-point lead to the Denver Broncos in Week 5 and a 21-point lead to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12. Then they responded poorly in the following weeks, getting overpowered in losses to the Giants in Week 6 and to the Bears in Week 13.
The Eagles rushed for just 73 yards and surrendered 172 yards on the ground to New York’s offense, led by rookie running back Cam Skattebo. The offense turned the ball over twice, went 1-of-9 on third downs and gave up 11-of-16 third downs.
Philadelphia’s defense allowed 130 rushing yards and a touchdown to seventh-round Bears rookie Kyle Monangai, and another 125 yards and a touchdown to veteran D’Andre Swift, who played for Philadelphia in 2023. The Eagles were penalized seven times for 44 yards, turned the ball over twice on offense, rushed for just 87 yards and lost the time-of-possession battle 39:18 to 20:40.
“They outcoached us; they outplayed us,” Sirianni said. “That’s obviously something that I need to go through and watch, look through it, but to say I don’t want to– again, they ran for however many yards. We didn’t run for many yards. We lost the turnover battle. We lost the explosive play battle. All those things are going to dictate the win and loss.”
Sirianni has reached two Super Bowls and won one, but he also oversaw a historic collapse in 2023 when the Eagles lost six of their final seven games and got bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
Once again, Sirianni and his staff are struggling this year, and it’s showing in the team’s results on the field.