Dan GELSTON
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Eagles' decline is starting to raise fears of a collapse.
Sound familiar?
Philadelphia fans – coach Nick Sirianni and the players still on the team – are having a hard time remembering the 2023 season.
The Eagles made it to the Super Bowl (like this year), they started 10-1 (the Eagles were 8-2 this year) before suffering a huge collapse that nearly cost Sirianni his job. They lost five times in their last six games and were quickly eliminated in their first playoff game.
Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and Sirianni are back, this time facing back-to-back losses that could derail the final stretch of the campaign and have Eagles fans calling for the firing of their offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo.
In 2023, Sirianni stripped defensive coordinator Sean Desai of his duties in a desperate attempt to salvage the season.
The measure didn't work.
This time, Sirianni tried to remain calm and gave Patullo his second vote of confidence in five days after the Chicago Bears flexed their offensive muscles to beat the Eagles 24-15 on Friday.
“We all share some responsibility for this. All coaches are involved in this. All players are involved in this. Again, you win and lose as a team. It never happens because of one thing,” Sirianni said.
However, one thing that has doomed the Eagles is their dysfunctional offense.
The Eagles (8-4) have scored 10, 16, 21 and 15 points since last week and have scored 24 points or fewer in eight of 12 games.
Hurts, the Super Bowl MVP, hasn't come close to playing at an elite level this season. The question becomes, is Patullo truly useless or is his play usage limited due to Hurts' shortcomings?
What works
A little. Not now.
What needs help
Touch-push. The once unstoppable play (beloved in Philadelphia and widely criticized elsewhere) has become easier for defenses to tackle lately.
Two weeks ago, Hurts scored the Eagles' only touchdown in Green Bay on a typically solid short-yardage play, but the Eagles' other five attempts failed. Against the Bears, Hurts fumbled the ball with his butt and the Bears recovered it for a touchdown.
Did the opposing defense finally figure out how to defend?
“It's getting harder and harder,” Hurts said. “But at the end of the day, I can control how I handle the ball.”
Stocks on the rise
Would you believe AJ Brown?
Brown complained publicly and wrote cryptically about his dissatisfaction with his role – under the guise of wanting to contribute more – as his numbers slumped and the Eagles were 8-2.
Brown's numbers have skyrocketed in the last two games, with 18 combined receptions for 242 yards. Against the Bears, Brown became the first Eagles player with more than ten receptions for more than 125 yards and more than two touchdowns since Zach Ertz in 2018 against Dallas.
The best statistics. Worst win-loss record. The Eagles are 0-2 after receiving Brown.
Stocks on the decline
Any defender.
Zach Baun and Nakobe Dean were completely outplayed under center in a game where D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai each rushed for over 100 yards – the first Bears teammates to reach that mark in a game since 1985 – and Chicago rushed for 281 yards.
Injuries
The Eagles escaped with serious injuries.
Key number
.400. This is the Eagles' win percentage over the five remaining teams on the schedule. Only the Chargers and Bills (both 7-4) have winning records. The Commanders (who they play twice) and the Raiders have a combined five wins.
Next steps
Reward for the violation before the Dec. 8 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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AP Sports: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
