Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Sirianni searching for answers following two gruesome losses in five days – NBCSP
Nick Sirianni kept pointing the finger at himself. One of the few things he got right Thursday night. The Eagles were a mess in all phases in their 34-17 loss to the lowly Giants, and when a team is unprepared, doesn’t compete and gets blown out by one of the worst teams in the NFL, that is on the coach more than anybody. And Sirianni knows it. “I don’t think we played our brand of football or coached our brand of football today,” Sirianni said after the Giants dismantled the Super Bowl champs. “Give them credit. They did a good job. But, definitely, that’s not to our standard in all phases and in coaching.” The Eagles led 17-13 in the middle of the second quarter, only to be outscored 21-0 the rest of the game. Just a few days after being outscored 18-0 in the fourth quarter at home by the Broncos.
The Sirianni factor. Two seasons ago the Eagles’ head coach tried all kinds of things to keep the season from going off the rails following a 10-1 start, but he couldn’t prevent the monstrous freefall that resulted in a first-round playoff exit. Last season, he used the team’s Week 5 bye to help turn a struggling team around and the Eagles closed out the season by going 16-1 and, of course, winning the Super Bowl. Now, the Eagles are at another crossroads following two straight losses and an overall uninspiring start on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football this season. “There were some things that we had (against the Giants) that probably (were) a little uncharacteristic,” Sirianni said. “It’s our job to get it fixed. I’m saying that’s concerning and I’m putting (it) on me because when we’re in a team meeting, that’s the things we’re going over. You got to keep preaching it and going after it and be relentless with it. That’s my plan. We’ll get better from it.” We’ll see.
Sirianni normally does a great job of pushing the right buttons with his team. Whatever he’s tried this year just isn’t working. This is a young team. I wonder if some of the guys thought things would be easier. Clearly that hasn’t been the case. Sirianni and his coaches need to figure out what this team needs in order to play good, consistent football. The team has yet to play a complete game and we’re already in October. A lot of people will focus on Kevin Patullo as their source of anger. Tonight it was Vic Fangio’s defense that was the bigger problem. They let the Giants convert 11 of 16 third downs. They gave up 34 points to a team that had virtually nothing at WR. All Sirianni and Roseman have to do is look at the Giants to see that getting more talent isn’t necessarily the answer. The Eagles must find a way to get the most out of the players they have.
A.J. Brown: “Just to clear this up…” – BGN
The Eagles lost in an ugly game to the Giants Thursday night and afterward, wide receiver A.J. Brown was asked about a meeting between himself, Jalen Hurts, and Saquon Barkley earlier in the week — a meeting widely reported on and even briefly addressed by the other two guys. Brown coyly replied that he didn’t recall such a meeting, and media and fan speculation ran wild for the next 13 hours. The WR didn’t wait a week this time before clearing the air, and tweeted out Friday afternoon that their conversation wasn’t as reflected in the question.
It’s Time For Eagles To Soul-Search, Not Panic And Fire Kevin Patullo – SI
You can call for Kevin Patullo’s head until you’re blue in the face. The offensive coordinator is feeling the heat these days, but he won’t get burned. Not yet. Not during this mini-bye the Eagles have, one in which they will carry around all weekend the heavy weight of a 34-17 drubbing at the hands of NFC East rival New York Giants. Besides, the players seem to have Patullo’s back, at least publicly. “I think he’s doing an amazing job,” said a surprisingly calm and collected A.J. Brown in the aftermath ot the team’s second loss. “He’s trying to get us the ball and talk about things that we may see and ideas that he has. It’s nonstop communication. He’s getting a lot of scrutiny, but I think he’s doing a good job and keeping this thing going.” A few lockers away from the cramped visitors’ locker room at MetLife Stadium, Saquon Barkley was chiming in, too. “I don’t get into predictability or pointing fingers,” he said. “I think KP is doing a hell of a job, but we all gotta be better. That’s the truth. If anybody thinks anything different, they gotta wake up, in my opinion.”
9) JALEN HURTS. The difference in the first and second halves of the Eagles’ loss to the Broncos was striking to me. Jalen Hurts and Co. were cruising early in the third quarter and suddenly encountered a brick wall, leading to a stunning loss and fresh drama surrounding this offense (which has proven to be a magnet for it). That fourth quarter was ugly, and the Eagles need to figure out how to consistently run the ball. They’re placing too much responsibility on Hurts’ shoulders and it’s limiting the entire offense.
The Eagles will continue to insist they have no plans to trade Brown, their star receiver. But every week that passes with problems piling up makes decision-makers around the league wonder. One league source told me: “Brown doesn’t look frustrated or mad — he looks indifferent. And that’s not a good place to be.” A GM in the AFC said, “I think Howie (Roseman) moves him. It would have to be for the right player or pick, but (a trade) wouldn’t surprise me. Howie likes deals, especially if a player’s value overrides how Brown is being used.”
Most teams anticipate the asking price to be steep. Expect more calls as we near November.
There is a reason for all of this, and it’s simple and obvious. The 2022-23 Kansas City Chiefs are the only team in the last 20 years to win back-to-back Super Bowls. And they went from 14-3 in 2022 to 11-6 in 2023. In Week 8 of 2023, the Chiefs went to Denver and lost 24-9 to the Russell Wilson-led Broncos, who would finish 8-9. Patrick Mahomes threw two interceptions, no touchdown passes. Am I saying that the Eagles are going to slog through their malaise, get themselves together and win the Super Bowl again? They might, we’ll see, but the toll from playing 21 games last season, and from losing key starters to free agency, is going to continue to be paid. It’s just as likely that they will continue to unravel, as the 2023 Eagles did after a Super Bowl appearance.
The tush push continues to inch toward potential extinction – PFT
But here’s another emerging reality. If Philly’s secret weapon, which no other team can stop or replicate, doesn’t result in another deep playoff run, some teams may lose their stomach for trying to take it away. Many believe that the attack on the play arises from basic envy and resentment of the Eagles’ success. If they’re no longer a Super Bowl contender for reasons unrelated to their go-to play, who cares if they use it? In a weird sort of way, those who pushed to get rid of the tush push last year will be implicitly admitting that the real reason was jealousy of the Eagles, if the 2025 season ends with nothing to be jealous about — and if the steam evaporates from the effort to wrangle two more votes than they managed to finagle in May.
AAA Official Review: Nick Sirianni’s message to the team: ‘Just get up and keep fighting’ – PE.com
Jalen Hurts: I didn’t execute well enough situationally. Jalen Hurts threw for a season-high 283 yards, but he said after the game that he needs to be better, especially pointing to his fourth-quarter interception deep in New York territory. “I didn’t execute well enough situationally and obviously can’t turn the ball over in the red zone,” he said. “So I’ll look into the tape, and I know our team will as a group, and we’ll be critical of ourselves on that and learn from it.” The Eagles didn’t score in the second half after posting 17 points in the first half against the Giants. Hurts took accountability for the lack of points after halftime. “I gotta be better,” he said. “I take ownership for it, a lot of autonomy and a lot of opportunity there with the ball in my hands. And given those situations, I have to be wiser and more detailed with it. So always looking inward first, looking inward on the things that I can control, and I see a lot of opportunity in this.”
Hurts walked out of the store and was welcomed by a group of children dressed in Eagles green “Love Hurts” shirts. After posing for photos, the quarterback made his way to the stage with Chad and Matt Fain, hosts of The Realest Podcast Ever, to discuss how he bounces back from losses, his favorite sneakers, and his love for Philly. “I think the most humbling things about sports is you can be at the top one day and at the bottom the next,” Hurts said. “But you take it all in as the same. Throughout my career, being able to experience success. To be able to experience those agonies and learn from them, those things have made me who I am. It kind of creates that diamond when you go through that pressure and go through that heat and experience those experiences. You have to choose to learn from them.”
Commanders vs Bears Friday Injury Report: RB depth could be tested on Monday night – Hogs Haven
The Washington Commanders didn’t practice today, so they released an estimated injury report. They had practice the last two days, and will have another practice tomorrow to get ready for the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Terry McLaurin hasn’t practiced since suffering a quad injury in Week 3. He would need to practice tomorrow to have a shot at playing this week. McLaurin’s trending towards missing his third game of the season.
Cowboys injuries: Running back Miles Sanders out for year, on season-ending IR – Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys will not be seeing running back Miles Sanders again this season. Stephen Jones noted Friday on 105.3 The Fan that Sanders is being placed on season-ending injured reserve.
4 things we learned from the Giants’ 34-17 victory over the Eagles – Big Blue View
I’m not sure what Jaxson Dart is, but whatever it is, he’s effective. Tonight was easily the best of Dart’s three starts so far. His scrambling ability is much more of an asset that I thought it would be at the NFL level. The great thing is that when he takes off, he keeps his eyes downfield for an opportunity to pass. Tonight he frustrated the Eagles several times by completing passes after he began scrambling and looked like he’d be hemmed in. When he does pass, he is throwing with anticipation, and he’s fitting the ball into tight windows. I haven’t decided whether he’s ever going to be a guy who routinely throws for 250-300 yards a game, even when he gets a full complement of good receivers. Right now, though, he is presenting a real problem for opposing defenses. He just has to make sure he stays away from injuries.
At 9:37 p.m. on Wednesday night this week, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill released a pair of statements — one from football coach Bill Belichick and another from athletic director Bubba Cunningham. “I’m fully committed to UNC Football and the program we’re building here,” Belichick said. “Coach Belichick has the full support of the Department of Athletics and University,” Cunningham added. What that collection of 25 words essentially says is, “Bill Belichick still works here, for now.” On the surface, for a football coach just five games into his first season on the job, putting out those statements at that time came across as pretty weird. But you don’t have to dig too deeply to figure out that Belichick’s time at North Carolina has been a complete disaster, a clown show, an embarrassment, and a waste of time and resources. That’s why it’s time — as soon as possible — for the folks in power at Chapel Hill to put an end to this experiment and fire Belichick, no matter the cost. If UNC aims to pitch itself as an SEC-caliber program, it’s time to pony up the cash necessary for an SEC-sized buyout. If you want to be like Auburn and Texas A&M, act like it. Because the deep-pocketed folks associated with those programs would have brought an end to this circus already — probably around the same time Belichick’s 20-something-year-old girlfriend was prancing around the field at UCF before the Tar Heels got whupped.
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