As the Eagles reach their bye week the team has looked like a disappointment so far. The team looks disjointed and undisciplined, which head coach Nick Sirianni openly admits is his fault. However, is he beyond redemption at this point? Should the team consider pulling the plug on him just two years after their Super Bowl appearance?
Sirianni’s Latest Disaster
The team simply didn’t look prepared in their week four annihilation against the Tampa Bay Buccanneers. The Birds lost 33-16 in an offensive struggle that saw multiple instances of mismanagement. Perhaps the biggest issue was the team’s lack of an identity when facing adversity. The team went into this game undermanned, with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson all absent. One would think with limited receiving targets the team would lean on a more run-heavy style. This would make sense, considering they have Saquon Barkley, a leading candidate for offensive player of the year so far. However, Barkley only had twelve touches whole game with ten rush attempts and two receptions. That is simply unacceptable and shows a clear lack of feel for the game and scheming. It wasn’t entirely Sirianni’s fault with Hurts turnovers continuing to plague the team. However, not putting your team in favorable positions from the start is also a huge problem.
However the team also just looked undisciplined all around. The team had a whopping 15 missed tackles on defense, and don’t even start with special teams. Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers made an incredibly boneheaded mistake. The team finally got a stop in the first quarter, but Rodgers thought he was making a savvy play by throwing a Buccaneers defender into Cooper DeJean, who was receiving. The refs caught the forceful shove and overturned their catch interference call. This resulted in a fumble by the Eagles, which set up Tampa deep in Philly territory. The Bucs would go on to score their third touchdown of the opening half, making it 21-0.
How does this relate to Sirianni? Well, that’s because he claimed to be taking a step back from playcalling this season to be more of a “CEO” of the team. If that’s the case, shouldn’t he at least make sure the product on the field looks crisp and sharp? This doesn’t seem to be reflecting the on-field play. So if the offensive-minded head coach doesn’t call plays on offense, doesn’t manage the defense, and isn’t a good “CEO” what does he do?
Should the Eagles Finally Pull The Plug?
Whatever messaging Sirianni is giving to the locker room during practices and games, the team doesn’t seem to be responding. What’s worse, Sirianni has had documented deficiencies dating back to 2021. He couldn’t call plays since his first as head coach, diverting those responsibilities to then offensive coordination Shane Steichen. After Steichen left, Sirianni had another chance to prove himself in 2023, and the team collapsed under him. It seems like Sirianni is becoming a black cloud on the team and there is too much offensive firepower on this roster to keep ignoring it. If things continue to look frustrating with a presumably fully healthy offense post-bye week, it may be time to pull the plug on Sirianni. If anything, perhaps that could serve as a wake-up call or breath of fresh air for the rest of the roster.
