The concern level for the Philadelphia Eagles, especially on the offensive side of the ball, has reached new heights after their Week 6 loss to the New York Giants. Since then, the coaching staff and players have been desperately trying to fix what has been ailing this offense. The mini-bye week and the extra time to rest, recover, and regroup will hopefully help turn things around in Philly, but the latest report out of the locker room only adds to the concerns.
Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano reported on Wednesday about what they have been hearing about the Eagles' situation. In their ESPN report, Fowler details what one player has told him after the loss to the Giants, saying, "this is starting to feel like the 2023 meltdown all over again... and the team needs to use this week to figure things out and avoid a full-blown repeat." Fowler added that he sensed concern after being at the game on Thursday night.
Latest ESPN Report Gives Eagles Fans 2023 Deja Vu
Most Eagles fans will remember what went down to close the 2023 season. After starting 10-1, Philadelphia completely collapsed on the defensive end, losing five out of its last six games. Somehow stumbling into the postseason, the Eagles were completely dominated by the Bucs in a 32-9 defeat in the Wild Card round.
Two seasons ago, it was the defense that looked completely lost. Following back-to-back losses to the 49ers and the Cowboys, Nick Sirianni decided to remove Sean Desai from defensive play-calling duties and gave them to Matt Patricia. This ultimately backfired, and the Eagles finished with the second-worst defense in the league. Both Desai and Patricia were let go after the season.
Now, the same thing is happening with the offense. Sirianni has so far ignored all calls for Kevin Patullo to be replaced. He hasn't made a change in play-calling duties, and he may be repeating the same mistake of waiting too long to fire a coordinator.
The fact that the players in the locker room are likening this to the 2023 situation is certainly concerning. The tensions, lack of effort, and the inability to execute were all palpable back then, and there are hints that the same may be happening on offense this season. The Eagles now have the luxury to make changes before their bye week and the trade deadline, unlike two seasons ago. Whether GM Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni address this earlier this time around remains to be seen.