Nick Sirianni and his Philadelphia Eagles had a disappointing end to the 2025 NFL season. Media personality Colin Cowherd delivered sharp criticism of the Eagles and Sirianni following their 23-19 collapse to the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Nick Sirianni Criticism Rooted in Perceived Coaching Gap
Cowherd argued that postseason football is defined by elite coaching and quarterback play, two areas he believes the Philadelphia Eagles lacked in their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. He closed his statement by calling the game a decisive coaching gap.
Cowherd said, “The NFL playoffs is about the best coaches and the best quarterbacks. And Philly has neither… Kyle Shanahan is using coupons and buying a month full of groceries for 48 bucks. And Nick Sirianni hit the lottery and he’s broke 2 years later…. That was a coaching mismatch.
“One coach was ChatGPT, and the other was crayons. That wasn’t even close.” Per PFSN’s NFL Offense Impact Metric, the Eagles ranked No. 16 on offense with a 74.6 grade.
Taking his criticism further, Cowherd bluntly stated, “The Eagles were boring, they were not creative.”
With Philadelphia out and the Kansas City Chiefs missing the playoffs this year, neither of the two teams that made the Super Bowl last year will be in the rest of the postseason. It is anybody’s Super Bowl at this point. The Texans trounced the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday night in the AFC Wild Card game.
49ers Overcome Injuries With Discipline, Efficiency, and Late Adjustments
San Francisco entered the postseason shorthanded but executed a disciplined game plan, leaning on situational efficiency and late-game adjustments, areas Cowherd believed the 49ers excelled in. Philadelphia struggled to sustain drives in the second half and failed to generate many explosive plays when needed.
The 49ers also managed to overcome a devastating loss when star tight end George Kittle went down with a torn Achilles. The squad was already without linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Joey Bosa, which would have been understandable if those losses alone were too much for San Francisco to overcome for Sirianni and the defending Super Bowl champions.
Kittle suffered the injury after catching a 6-yard pass in the right flat late in the second quarter. According to ESPN, 49ers running back Christian McCaffery said, “This team has carried the character of George Kittle throughout the entire year. He’s the heart and soul of this team. That’s a tough loss.”
He added, “When he’s not playing, it means a lot … When you lose a leader like that, you never really lose him because his presence is still in this locker room. His energy is still here.” Kittle ranked No. 5 for the season according to PFSN’s NFL Tight End Impact Metrics. Philadelphia’s offense stalled for most of the game, turning the ball over on downs in its final possession.
The loss and Cowherd’s criticism may fuel questions about whether Sirianni can help the Eagles recover and return to form. They still have the talent, but Philadelphia will face questions about scheme, leadership, and its future.
