Nick Sirianni was asked about the cut-off media coverage of the Panthers’ game-clinching touchdown that almost gave the Eagles a lead.
“I thought it was good design on their part. I give them credit for that,” Sirianni said. “They went to run it and they scored on it.”
It could have been a shrewd move, but a miscommunication in the secondary allowed Bryce Young to hit a wide-open Tommy Tremble in the end zone and ultimately close out the Eagles, 25-14, on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
And yet, Sirianni first focused on Carolina’s innovation rather than its defense when asked about the breakdown. Perhaps he didn’t intend for his response to say so much about his inadequate offense, but perhaps unconsciously he did.
Six games into Sean Mannion’s tenure, the coach has yet to have reason to compliment his offensive coordinator in the same way. Mannion’s project lacks imagination, lacks coordination and, above all, is unproductive.
Something has to change. The Eagles lost four straight games for the first time in the Sirianni era and over that span his offense averaged just 14.5 points per game.
“We’re going to have to do some different things to help the offense get going,” Sirianni said. “We’re never going to make excuses for anything. We have to do different things to get them going and score more points, plain and simple, especially there in that second half.
“So everything is on the table. Doing the same thing over and over and not getting results would be crazy. Everything is on the table, what we have to do to be able to score points.”
» LEARN MORE: Tanner McKee can’t spark stagnant Eagles offense, 25-14 loss to Panthers extends skid to four games
Sirianni used the expression everything is on the table last week, when asked about the possibility of Mannion calling plays from the field rather than the coaches’ box. This may be one of the changes he is implementing to revive his offense.
The question that prompted Sirianni’s words was about changing the offense to play to quarterback Tanner McKee’s strengths with Jalen Hurts out for at least three more games because of a blood clot in his calf. But having McKee under center only revealed that the scheme was more responsible for the ineptitude than the starting quarterback.
Hurts hasn’t been close to perfect, but the Eagles probably won’t win the first two games without his improvisation. Meanwhile, in his absence, the same problems persisted: an inability to run the ball, catch blitzes and execute the play-action play under center that Mannion was supposed to integrate into a Sirianni-Hurts system that had become too predictable.
Perhaps the best solution would be to simply return full-time to a fast-paced, shotgun-heavy, inside-zone, run-pass-run option attack that at least still generates a modicum of success when the Eagles have the ball.
“We have to be able to score more points, period. That’s the game of football,” Sirianni said when asked about Mannion. “So it’s everyone’s responsibility, right? It’s not just one coach’s responsibility.”
But everything means Alland as Sirianni has already shown, he is not afraid to make changes to his coaching staff mid-season.
In 2023, he stripped then-defensive coordinator Sean Desai of responsibility on third downs and ultimately demoted him to Matt Patricia. Last season, he took a more active role in offensive game planning amid Kevin Patullo’s struggles.
» LEARN MORE: Jordan Mailata says lack of ‘desire’ leads to Eagles’ offensive struggles
Of course, neither change worked. But the season is slipping away, other than competing in a sleepy NFC East, and Sirianni simply won’t be able to afford a season without a playoff appearance. That may seem ridiculous for a coach who won one Super Bowl, appeared in another and reached the playoffs in each of his first five seasons.
Despite an unprecedented few weeks in Eagles history, with much of the adversity out of his control, Sirianni inspired great effort from his players. Some teams lose their quarterbacks. Some have just as many injuries. Even a few have seen future Hall of Famers retire mid-season.
But how many have ever experienced all that in the space of two weeks, not to mention a few heartbreaking last-minute losses?
Sirianni is certainly responsible for this losing streak. The seeds of his fundamental beliefs, however, provide no shadow of the areas in which his earlier ingenuity is now lacking.
And this goes to the very root of the Sirianni enigma. If he can’t design an offense and/or track plays, and therefore must rely on Mannion types for innovation, what is his greatest value? To save himself, he may have to regain full ownership.
It was so lousy on offense. Mannion and new offensive line coach Chris Kuper have had almost no solutions for defenses that blitz the Eagles’ quarterbacks when they are under center and drop to throw. Maybe because they almost always try to play in these situations.
McKee fell under center five times and each time there was a false run. He didn’t complete a single pass and was sacked twice. Both sacks came from Panthers rushers who were unblocked. McKee didn’t have time to come up with his “hot” answers, if there were any.
» LEARN MORE: Eagles vs. Panthers grades: Offense remains disjointed, run defense and special teams struggle in 25-14 loss
“We need to do a better job there, plain and simple,” Sirianni said. “We have to, as coaches, be able to put them in a position to succeed. We have to go out and execute.”
It’s not all about the plan or the play. The Eagles’ once-great offensive line has deteriorated in part due to neglect. Howie Roseman hasn’t provided the offense with a single tight end capable of blocking in a scheme that emphasizes winning the line at the point of attack.
The Eagles general manager’s last two offseasons have been disappointing, particularly during the draft. And even some of his previous local success is starting to wither, especially on the other side of the ball.
The offensive deficiencies have largely overshadowed the regression of the defense. The Eagles were supposed to be able to at least count on Vic Fangio’s unit. And while he played valiantly in the face of more snaps and playing time, the pass rush was anemic and the back seven porous.
Cooper DeJean was once the poster boy for Roseman witchcraft, but he can’t seem to tackle anymore. The move to part-time safety may have stressed the cornerback, but he’s now been part of two broken coverages with outside corner Riq Woolen that resulted in backbreaking touchdowns.
“Poor communication” was DeJean’s response to what went wrong during the play.
“As a defense, you always want to be on the same page, because the easiest way to give up a big play or give up a touchdown is not for everyone to be on the same page,” Sirianni said. “We had a little bit of that on defense.”
The Eagles had some of that on offense, according to McKee, on his pre-snap signals to his receivers. Miscommunication likely resulted in a missed assignment that led to special teams allowing a blocked punt late in the game. Bad teams get lost in translation.
This was a theme long before the locker room resembled a medical ward. The Eagles are now 9-11 in their last 20 games dating back to last year’s 4-0 start. It is still too early to start the season. But Sirianni is running out of time before owner Jeffrey Lurie starts asking Roseman about 2027.
“There’s always an emergency and you can be calm when there’s an emergency,” Sirianni said. “You double down on the things that you believe in; you double down on the things that have made you successful. Again, like I said, plans may change, schedules may change, but your core values are your core values.
“We know that for us, those are the truths of football. It keeps you grounded, but there’s always a sense of urgency and it’s my job to have that sense of urgency. All of us, our job is to have that. Then it’s my job to make sure we stick to the hard part, detailed and together.”
Sirianni may need to do more.
Gn sports
