After an embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni’s seat is warming up. Following a disastrous end to last season, Sirianni’s team looks to be spiraling out of control once again.
The Eagles have now lost eight of their last 11 games, as Sirianni’s coaching ability continues to be questioned. If he is unable to get the team turned around coming out of the bye week, Sirianni’s tenure as the head coach of the Eagles could be coming to an end.
Nick Sirianni on the Hot Seat in Philadelphia?
Sirianni watched helplessly as the Eagles trailed 24-0 midway through the second quarter against the Buccaneers. After being stripped of his offensive play-calling duties this offseason, many have questioned what exactly Sirianni does in Philadelphia now.
Four games into the regular season, Sirianni’s team lacks an identity. The flashes that the Eagles have shown at times have been overshadowed by embarrassing game management decisions and turnovers.
Many viewed the Eagles as a potential Super Bowl contender heading into the regular season, yet Sirianni is seemingly leading Philadelphia off the tracks. After a 2-2 start to the regular season and losing eight of their last 11 games, it’s entirely fair to question Sirianni’s future in Philadelphia right now.
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Although Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore supposedly has full control of Philadelphia’s offense, Sirianni confused many when he stated that he still calls plays at times.
Sirianni’s reasoning for Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley only having two rushing attempts in Philadelphia’s first three drives in Week 4 only further complicated matters.
Nick Sirianni was asked why Saquon Barkley only had two carries in the team’s first three drives.
This explanation by Sirianni is awful. Maybe the offense wasn’t able to sustain drives because the team’s best player wasn’t involved? pic.twitter.com/7y4cFsQboC
— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaPFN) September 29, 2024
Considering that Sirianni no longer has to call plays on offense, it would be fair to expect him to be flawless in other areas as a “CEO” head coach. Yet Sirianni has made several questionable game-management decisions that have led to the Eagles scoring fewer points and ultimately losing to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.
Sirianni’s inconsistent role on the coaching staff and indecisive aggressiveness during games has ultimately doomed the Eagles to start the regular season.
Eagles Are Missing Sirianni’s Core Values in 2024
Since being hired as head coach of the Eagles in 2021, Sirianni has consistently mentioned his five core values during nearly every press conference. Sirianni’s core values are connect, compete, accountability, fundamentals, and football IQ.
Through the first four games of the regular season, the Eagles are lacking in several of those areas. Philadelphia’s questionable football IQ and lack of fundamentals have been the most evident in 2024.
After Philadelphia’s defense finally stopped the Buccaneers and forced a punt late in the first quarter, Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers inexplicably pushed a Tampa Bay player into punt returner Cooper DeJean. Philadelphia’s rookie punt returner muffed the punt, and the Buccaneers recovered the ball.
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Yet the most concerning thing about this unfortunate sequence was Rodgers’ response to the play following Sunday’s game. Rodgers said that “he never heard that before” when asked about the penalty flag being picked up since he pushed the player into DeJean.
Rodgers was also asked if any member of Philadelphia’s coaching staff went over that situation with the team. “No, nothing that we’ve been over,” Rodgers replied.
"I never heard that before"
Isaiah Rodgers explains his thought process on the block that led to a muffed punt in an apparent mix up of the rules during the Eagles' loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4 | @Lundy_Law pic.twitter.com/kUxNfV3f4U
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 29, 2024
It’s quite concerning that Rodgers was never instructed to avoid doing what he did against the Buccaneers in Week 4. Considering that this is Sirianni’s coaching staff, he is ultimately accountable for shortcomings such as this situation.
Philadelphia’s lack of football IQ and fundamentals wasn’t only on special teams, as the defense consistently missed tackles against the Buccaneers. Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts continues to turn the ball over far too much as well.
In the first four games of the regular season, Hurts has already turned the ball over eight times. Many of Hurts’ turnovers have been avoidable, and Sirianni has often made excuses for his quarterback during press conferences as well.
If Hurts continues to turn the ball over at a high rate, Philadelphia will likely be playing from behind all season long. As the Eagles head into the bye week in Week 5, Sirianni will have the opportunity to reevaluate his core values and the team moving forward.
Philadelphia’s Rocky Start Plagued by Injuries
The Eagles have endured several injuries to key offensive starters through the first four weeks of the regular season. Philadelphia was missing A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson against the Buccaneers in Week 4.
After scoring 33 points in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers with everyone healthy, the Eagles have struggled to put points on the scoreboard without Brown. In the three games that Brown has missed due to a hamstring injury, the Eagles have scored just 17.3 points per game.
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Brown also missed last season’s playoff matchup against the Buccaneers, when the Eagles scored just nine points in Tampa Bay. It’s becoming clear that Brown is pivotal for Philadelphia’s offensive success as the team’s best wide receiver.
Despite Philadelphia’s offense dealing with multiple injuries, the Eagles’ defense has remained relatively unscathed. Which is concerning, considering how terrible the defense has looked outside of a dominant performance in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints.
Luckily for the Eagles, many expect Brown, Smith, and Johnson to return in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. If all three key offensive starters return and the Eagles continue to struggle, Sirianni’s tenure as head coach could be coming to an end in Philadelphia.