The Philadelphia Eagles are trending within the fallacious course in the course of the stretch run of the common season and their protection has been the principle offender of their collapse. Regardless of the unit’s poor play on the sphere, head coach Nick Sirianni is making an attempt to maintain the religion.
His protection had one other depressing displaying on Sunday as they allowed 35 factors to the Arizona Cardinals in a shocking 35-31 loss, dropping the Eagles again down right into a wild-card spot within the NFC and handing them their fourth loss in 5 video games for the month of December.
After Sunday’s efficiency, the Eagles are permitting 25 factors per recreation and rank among the many backside 10 within the league in factors towards. They’ve additionally allowed greater than 30 factors six instances this season, together with 3 times in December.
It’s a enormous fall for a unit that completed eighth within the NFL in factors towards only one yr in the past on their technique to the Tremendous Bowl.
“I do imagine. I nonetheless imagine within the guys in that locker room, the gamers. I nonetheless imagine within the coaches. I believe we’ve received the fellows on this place to get turned in the proper course. We don’t have a lot time, clearly, proper,” Sirianni stated. “We’ve received yet one more recreation earlier than playoffs begins, and we’ve received to do every part we are able to do to get again on observe this upcoming week. I believe there’s been spurts, clearly, the final couple video games the place we performed good ball on protection. Tonight wasn’t a type of instances.”
The Eagles misplaced defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon this previous offseason when he took over the head-coaching job for the Cardinals. There have been main points since his departure and it has left the Eagles scrambling for in-season solutions.
The most important change concerned stripping defensive coordinator Sean Desai of his play-calling duties and giving them to Matt Patricia. That has not come near fixing the issues because the Eagles protection has repeatedly been crushed within the weeks since that change.
In fact Sirianni goes to say he nonetheless believes in everyone as a result of no coach – particularly a coach of a playoff group – goes to say anything at this level within the season. What he says and what he really believes deep down, nevertheless, is perhaps two very various things.
The Eagles are nonetheless heading to the playoffs, however they’re now ready the place they could let home-field benefit, a bye week and even perhaps a single dwelling recreation all slip away. No one in Philadelphia must be optimistic about this group going into the playoffs.
