Philadelphia Eagles on the bye: Is it time to panic?

Following the Philadelphia Eagles‘ 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, coach Nick Sirianni tried to inject some perspective right into a dissatisfied locker room.

“He stated, ‘It is early. We’re 2-2,'” stated tight finish Dallas Goedert. “‘It isn’t faculty soccer. Our season shouldn’t be over. We have got numerous soccer forward of us.'”

Sirianni has been head coach lengthy sufficient to know what awaited the workforce after they touched down again in Philly that night.

The stress ranges over the state of the Birds are excessive. And with the Eagles coming into their bye, they will face two weeks’ price of scrutiny earlier than they’ve an opportunity to quell nerves.

This isn’t a brand new phenomenon — it is a byproduct of the town’s extraordinary ardour — however the circumstances have this fan base much more on edge than regular.

There’s not a lot abdomen for turbulence proper now, not after a 1-6 collapse to finish final season. Sunday felt related sufficient to the wild-card loss to Tampa in January — the protection getting shredded, the gamers wanting listless for giant chunks of the sport — to stoke considerations that there’s something basically damaged with this workforce.

The criticism is being felt on a nationwide degree as effectively, with Sirianni’s job safety now turning into an everyday matter of dialog.

Is panic warranted? Let’s take a better take a look at the state of affairs.

The offense can nonetheless be their saving grace

The personnel stays high shelf. The offensive line is likely one of the league’s greatest, rating fifth in each go block win price (68%) and run block win price (74%). A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are one of many high receiver duos within the recreation. Saquon Barkley was added to the combination this season and has been the whole lot the entrance workplace might have requested for. He ranks third in speeding yards (435), is an explosive play ready to occur with 4 runs of 20-plus yards, has scored 5 touchdowns and is averaging 6.0 yards per carry.

There is a ton of fine right here, however Jalen Hurts‘ play must stabilize. He has seven turnovers on the season — second most behind Will Levis — and 27 for the reason that begin of 2023, which leads all gamers.

What we’re seeing in-game is totally different from what we noticed this summer time. Throughout coaching camp, Hurts ran the offense with excessive effectivity. He bought the ball out of his palms quick with quick and intermediate rhythm throws, permitting his playmakers to create. The outcome was one interception all camp. However via 4 video games, Hurts ranks thirty second amongst QBs in common time earlier than throw (3.1 seconds). He must get again to the fast recreation.

Brown (hamstring) has been out of the lineup since Week 1, and there have been at all times going to be some bumps within the highway as Hurts adjusted to new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s system — the fourth totally different scheme he has needed to be taught in 5 NFL seasons. Alternatively, he is getting paid like a franchise quarterback (over $50 million a 12 months) and must get again to taking part in like one.

The protection could possibly be their undoing

It isn’t exhausting to image the offense withdrawing however the forecast for the protection shouldn’t be almost as rosy.

Normal supervisor Howie Roseman goes to grow to be a larger point of interest of frustration quickly if issues do not flip round for a protection that ranks within the backside half in lots of classes together with defensive effectivity (twenty fourth), opponent yards per play (thirtieth), factors allowed (twenty third) and takeaways (T-Twenty eighth).

His massive free agent splash on that facet of the ball was edge rusher Bryce Huff, who has zero sacks and one solo sort out. The expectation was that he’d develop right into a three-down participant, however his struggles in opposition to the run have restricted his taking part in time. The most effective edge participant via 4 video games has been 36-year-old Brandon Graham. The opposite notable signing, security C.J. Gardner-Johnson, has produced blended outcomes.

The entrance workplace invested closely in former Georgia gamers in current drafts, utilizing first-round picks on defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis and edge rusher Nolan Smith Jr.. Davis and Smith haven’t delivered adequate returns to this point, whereas Carter has proven to be extremely gifted but in addition inconsistent. Roseman did seemingly nail his most up-to-date first-round choice, as rookie nook Quinyon Mitchell has been largely dynamite.

Backside line, the go rush has been anemic (their six sacks are the third fewest within the league), the again seven has been up and down, and tackling has been a significant downside (they’ve 15 missed tackles in opposition to the Bucs alone, in response to the workforce’s counting).

Veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has not been the salve many had been hoping for. Like with Moore and the offense, some lumps ought to be anticipated because the gamers get used to a brand new system. However finally, this could possibly be a matter of flawed roster building.

The schedule is an ally

In response to ESPN Analytics, the Eagles have the fourth-easiest remaining energy of schedule. Their subsequent 4 video games after the bye are in opposition to the Cleveland Browns (1-3), New York Giants (1-3), Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) and Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4). For all of the hand-wringing, they might head into the second half of their season a number of video games over .500.

And the NFC East stays a winnable division. The Dallas Cowboys (2-2) and Giants (1-3) have their very own flaws, and it is to be seen whether or not the Washington Commanders and their spectacular rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels can hold a sizzling hand.

The trail to the postseason would not really feel all that arduous.

Teaching is the wild card

Then once more, this season was by no means going to be concerning the opponent. Or the expertise.

It was all about whether or not this workforce might correctly get off the mat after imploding down the stretch final season, and the way effectively they’d deal with adversity when it inevitably hit in 2024.

It was about whether or not CEO Jeffrey Lurie, who contemplated Invoice Belichick sooner or later in the course of the 9 days between the tip of final season and when the group signaled Sirianni would return as head coach, made the precise choice, significantly in gentle of the seasonlong pressure between Hurts and Sirianni in the course of the 2023 marketing campaign.

The teaching thus far — from Sirianni and his workers — has left one thing to be desired. A number of of Sirianni’s in-game selections, particularly on fourth down, have backfired. The offense has but to attain even a single level within the first quarter. The Eagles are tied for twentieth in penalties per recreation (seven), have the second-most giveaways (eight) and have but to win the turnover battle via 4 video games.

All are largely a mirrored image of teaching.

In terms of the small print, Sirianni has numerous little issues he must get ironed out.

However from a extra international perspective, his No. 1 job is to maintain this workforce from fraying. He ceded offensive management to Moore this offseason and has assumed extra of a CEO position, with one of many essential priorities being to keep up the tradition.

It went sideways on him final season. By the tip, it did not matter in the event that they had been taking part in the Bucs or the San Francisco 49ers or the 6-11 Giants. They weren’t collectively sufficient to muster even mediocre play.

Sirianni has a head-coaching report of 36-19. He has taken the Eagles to the postseason in every of his three seasons on the helm and almost captured a Lombardi Trophy in Tremendous Bowl LVII.

Will the gamers reply to him the way in which they did his first season, after they rallied from a 2-5 begin to make the playoffs? Or is the workforce merely in a chronic tailspin, relationship again to final season, that there is no maneuvering out of?

Both final result feels fully potential. No marvel this fan base is in such a twisted state.