It's Not Just Derek Barnett as Yellow Flags Fly Against Eagles

The team is on pace to break the NFL record for penalties, but Barnett has just two compared to an OL that has been flagged 14 times, with Lane Johnson leading the way

PHILADELPHIA – There’s a perception that Derek Barnett is the biggest offender when it comes to the Eagles’ NFL-leading penalty total.

It’s not exactly accurate, though head coach Nick Sirianni has fanned that flame after being caught on camera during Monday night’s game, mouthing the words, “it’s always him,” after Barnett jumped offsides.

Yes, Barnett is often a violator of the rules, especially when it comes to personal foul penalties, with eight of those in his career, an unsightly collection of late quarterback hits and late hits after the whistle.

Yes, Barnett has more penalties in his career, 23, than he does sacks, 19.5.

His reputation precedes him.

This season, though?

He has just two. The unnecessary roughness penalty against the Niners was egregious and visible. He also jumped offsides against the Cowboys.

Asked if he thinks Barnett is living up to the standard being set by the coaching staff, Sirianni said, “Yeah I do. Obviously, the pre-snap penalties - we had too many pre-snap penalties on all of us. That's just concentration. That's just focus. That's just being disciplined. Derek wasn't the only one that had an encroachment or offsides. We've all got to get better at that.

“But yeah, I see improvement. I see improvement, and again, that's our job as coaches to point it out and not let anything slide.”

Where the Eagles need to improve is along the offensive line.

That is where the Eagles are putting themselves in too many first-and-long holes which lead to second-and-long ditches and third-and-hopeless situations.

Of the 35 penalties the Eagles have committed in three games, 14 can be attributed to the offensive line. Seven have been holding calls, four have been false starts, and three were for being illegally downfield.

Lane Johnson has five total, four of which are holding. Another holding call against the Cowboys was declined. His infractions have negated plays that would have given the Eagles a total of 28 yards.

Isaac Seumalo, who was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve on Tuesday, is the next biggest offender, with four penalties, three of which were false starts, the other holding. His infractions have cost the Eagles positive pickups totaling 21 yards.

Isaac Seumalo and Andre Dillard at a 2020 practice / Ed Kracz

Andre Dillard was called for two of the team’s 13 penalties against the Cowboys, one a hold, the other a false start, and had another holding call declined.

“When you hold a player to a standard, you just point out the mistakes,” said Sirianni. “It's as simple as, ‘Hey, here's what went wrong, here's what the standard is,’ - and that's what our job is to paint the picture.

“Obviously, the standard in penalties is don't jump offsides. Both sides of the ball, right? But you paint the standard of what's required on each play, and when the play is met, when the standard is met on the play, you congratulate, and you get excited about it. When it's not, you correct it. It's really as simple as that.”

If it really is that simple, then penalties will be at a minimum against the Chiefs.

If it continues, well, then what?

Sirianni preaches accountability, so he was asked about what would happen if penalties to continue.

“If we're running a play to [RB] Kenny Gainwell - I'm just using him as an example - and we practiced that play and he doesn't accomplish his goal in the play, well, we're crazy to keep putting him in on that same play, right?” the coach said when asked what sort of consequences there would be if penalties continue, especially from Barnett, who, again, hasn’t been the most penalized player on the team.

“It's like that with everything. That's how we're going to put the guys in we trust, and we trust Derek,” Sirianni added. “I know that's where you're going with that, and we trust our players. But it's like that with everything. 

"If a play is not working out the way it's supposed to be because the guy continues to make mistakes, that guy can't be in on that play, and it's no different there with pre-snap penalties, as well.”

It’s hard to imagine the Eagles not using Johnson or any lineman for continually holding, though.

They just have to be better.

The messaging from O-line coach Jeff Stoutland has to be better.

If it continues, and pre-snap penalties aren’t fixed, and/or Barnett adds a few more personal foul flags to his already-crowded collection, the Eagles will set the NFL record for infractions this year.

They are on pace for 192, which would destroy the record of 163 set by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2011.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.