On Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles 2023 season came to an embarrassing end with a 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card game.
It was the second Wild Card meeting in three seasons between the two teams since the expanded playoff format began in 2021. The Eagles lost five of their last six games in the regular season to finish at 11-6 including blowout losses to the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants heading into the Wild Card game. With the Wild Card loss, they finish the season losing six of the last seven games.
Philadelphia had a chance to redeem themselves in this game but finished the game and the season was not a very good football team with a ton of problems heading into the offseason. This season will go down as one of the strangest and most disappointing in Eagles’ history. You would think with an 11-6 record, fans would be saying positive things about the team and looking forward to the future.
In 2022, the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. After the season, the Eagles lost both Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon to head coaching jobs. The Eagles replaced those coordinators with Brian Johnson and Sean Desai instead of going after veteran coordinators to assist a young inexperienced head coach. Coming off the Super Bowl loss, there were high expectations to get back and win it all. That was not the case in 2023.
In the Wild Card game against Tampa Bay, Philadelphia’s defense could not make a tackle to save their life. The most fundamental move of wrapping up your opponent was lacking. During the losing streak, Matt Patricia replaced Sean Desai as the play caller for the defense. Unfortunately, the defense got worse under Patricia than Desai. The Eagles’ defense allowed 428 points in the 2023 season (25.2 PPG), 6,309 yards (371.1 YPG), and 50 touchdowns.
The same can be said for the offense. Both Brian Johnson and head coach Nick Sirianni’s play calling was too predictable. Every defense knew what plays Philadelphia was running, particularly the screens. Even Peyton Manning pointed it out every time plus San Francisco running Christian McCaffrey knew what the Eagles were running. You don’t have to study Philly’s offense as it’s too predictable and in sequential order. Philadelphia’s offense finished with 433 total points (25.5 PPG), 6,257 (368.1 YPG), and 49 touchdowns.
Throughout the 2023 season, opposing teams figured the Eagles out. They know head coach Nick Sirianni is clueless on how to adjust during the games.
Even in the Super Bowl, the Eagles led the Chiefs 24-14. Former Eagles coach Andy Reid adjusted and Kansas City came back to win the game and the title. On the other hand, Sirianni did not adjust and paid the price.
When Nick Sirianni was hired by the Eagles in 2021, many questioned if he was ready to be a head coach. In his debut press conference, Sirianni did not do well which further questioned Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman’s decision. When he was hired, Sirianni was the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-20. Before Indianapolis, he was an Offensive quality control coach, assistant quarterback coach, and wide receivers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009-12.
Next, he went to San Diego to become an Offensive quality control coach, quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach for the Chargers from 2013 to 2017. Lurie and Roseman only hire these people if you have lost your hat in a game, and only want cheap puppets that you hold the strings to.
Some people from the fans to the media will point out that his record is 34-17 with the Eagles, and has gone to the playoffs for three straight seasons including the Super Bowl. If you watched this season, which some games were hard to watch, you have seen the team look confused, unorganized, not prepared, lack of fundamentals, undisciplined, and without direction. What is the reason? When you come into the presence of a leader you are inspired.
A leader says come follow me, he is strong in his decision-making, has the character of a lion, plans, prepares, and teaches. He does not accept mediocre, and leaves his men with conviction that should something go awry the strong ethics that he has instilled in each player, each man, can be called upon to adjust and continue in their objective. What can this coach bring to the team that they do not already have? Most have more experience, more knowledge, and more time on the field than this coach. Again, what can he bring each player?
Have you ever heard of teams from the past not practicing with pads, not studying game films, or making tv commercials instead of studying play books? There are some coaches, old school coaches, who have tried to instill the fundamentals and make their team a competitive one only to be fined by the governing body.
In 2022, former Washington head coach Ron Rivera was fined $100,000 for conducting excessive contact in spring drills. Those drills helped prepare players. Seahawks, Ravens, and Steelers have all had contact drills. If the NFL cared so much about the safety of players then why add another game to the season? Money hungry? Well, that isn’t in the name of player’s safety. Well-prepared conditioned players lead to safe play.
Before the Wild Card game, many members of the media felt that Sirianni’s job was safe depending on the outcome of the game like if the Eagles lost in a close game to Tampa Bay or beat them to move on to Detroit. That was not the case. Former NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter Derrick Gunn said it best after the Eagles loss “everything is on the table.”
Philadelphia owner Jeffrey Lurie will have to decide quickly as guys like Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel, and Ben Johnson are available who would be better head coaches. Most of these coaches like Jim Harbaugh are going to want control of the roster and rightfully so. Who wants to be the head coach of a team where you don’t get to pick your assistant coaches, have no control over picking the players, have your GM in on all your meetings with the team and players, and not to mention on the practice field and have no control over scouting. Knowing you are only a puppet on the sideline who is allowed to like flowers.
Jeffrey Lurie created this toxic culture of control and he needs to look himself in the mirror to re-evaluate himself about this team. If Lurie wants more Super Bowl titles, he needs to give up control. He is another Jerry Jones, who too loves control and has not been to a Super Bowl since 1995. One of Lurie’s biggest weaknesses is trusting the wrong people who help him make decisions which leads to who should be fired and that’s GM Howie Roseman.
Howie Roseman has been with the Eagles since 2000. He became the GM of Philadelphia in 2010 late in Andy Reid’s tenure. Many gave him credit for bringing guys in like A.J. Brown, D’Andre Swift, and Haason Reddick but Roseman has a bad track record of drafting and developing players. His only hit in the draft was DeVonta Smith and yes Jalen Hurts.
Roseman relies on trades and free agency to get players who are already developed but even then, Philly does not know how to use them like D’Andre Swift. He is responsible for constructing this roster and the Eagles have problems, particularly on defense with linebackers and secondaries.
Sirianni is the fourth head coach to work with Howie Roseman. At some point, you have to realize that maybe the coaches are not the problem but the GM is. In this case, it is both.
If Lurie does decide to fire Sirianni, it is not a guarantee that Jim Harbaugh or Mike Vrabel will want to coach the Eagles with Roseman as the GM. They would want a new GM to work with, a new coaching staff, and new players.
If Lurie has an interest in a guy like Jim Harbaugh, then he must fire Roseman too, and start over. Maybe, just maybe, Lurie will finally see the real problems and will change it for the better. It’s a long shot and not a guarantee but firing both Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman is a must for the Eagles to have a chance to stay playoff contenders in the foreseeable future.
Do you think the Eagles should fire Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman? Leave a comment below.
