Eagles' Biggest Problem is Personnel, Not Coach Nick Sirianni

Nick Sirianni and his staff went through plenty of issues but tying the Philadelphia Eagles' struggles to the coaching staff is giving a pass to personnel that underachieved.

TAMPA - Hours after the Philadelphia Eagles imploded on the turf at Raymond James Stadium, an eerie fog rolled in over the aging stadium.

The symbolism was almost overdone by the football gods.

From 10-1 and toast of the town to 11-7 and one-and-done in the worst way possible, a 32-9 drubbing at the hands of the mid-Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Afterward with the sharks circling Nick Sirianni received a lukewarm appraisal by his starting quarterback who he’s protected at all costs just as the torches and pitchforks amassed at the gate looking for a pound of flesh.

An Eagles fan threw a bucket of popcorn at Nick Sirianni as he left the field 😬

(h/t jt.the.gingy/TT) pic.twitter.com/5wzUZlWcp6

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) January 16, 2024

The Eagles coach is at a crossroads.

If the NFL wasn’t such a public-facing industry, speculating on Sirianni’s job status would be ludicrous when judging him against his peers. A .667 winning percentage, three consecutive playoff berths, and a Super Bowl appearance are more than enough for a mulligan when the emotion of finality is replaced by logic.

Sirianni, though, is somewhat culpable for his current situation in a way that does not involve the ugly on-performance by his team.

Rewind to the Nov. 20 win at Kansas City that improved the Eagles to 9-1 and you’ll recall a fired-up Sirianni spiking the football on the Chiefs’ fan base as he left the field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Once inside Sirianni went even further, chiding an Eagles beat reporter who picked Kansas City to win pre-game “because they had the better coach and quarterback, ” a classic example of how good decisions don’t guarantee good results from the scribe’s perspective.

Days after that game and his outburst I explicitly asked Sirianni if his behavior could motivate others against his team or even the coach himself.

“Yeah, I do (think about it),” Sirianni admitted. “I do. But, again, there are so many things that everybody can use for motivation. We all saw the Michael Jordan documentary. He would make things up.”

As Sirianni continued he almost had an in-answer epiphany.

“These guys in this league are here for a reason. They know how to work. They know how to get ready for games. And so maybe -- I guess that really doesn't go through my mind, but they could use (his actions as motivation),” the coach realized.

Hindsight is better than 20/20 vision and while the discussion back on Nov. 24 was more about the on-field motivation for opponents, it slowly evolved into cannon fodder for those who dislike the coach for failing to live up to unrealistic expectations.

That sentiment has been dressed up a million ways but just like the illusion of complexity in the offenses many Eagles fans covet, it’s the same old song with a fresh coat of paint.

Sirianni made many mistakes in the 2023 season, could have made a million more, and it still wouldn’t have had the same effect as the defense's shoddy tackling in Tampa.

LeSean McCoy Blasts James Bradberry for Poor Tackling vs. Bucs

In a league where it’s always the Jimmy and Joes over the Xs and Os, the Eagles’ overrated roster failed Sirianni more than vice versa.

Most of the team's fans seem to think Sirianni screwed up the 1985 Chicago Bears.

After a Super Bowl season filled with career years on both sides of the football, the Eagles regressed to the mean everywhere you looked from Jalen Hurts and Dallas Goedert on offense to a pass rush with few finishers to James Bradberry and Darius Slay on defense highlighting a back-seven filled with Band-Aids.

Add in A.J. Brown disappearing for one game due to a sprained MCL and the Eagles were transported back to 2021 when their season also ended in disappointment to the Bucs in Tampa.

Moving forward, the hurdles only increase with the first domino being the intended retirement of six-time All-Pro center Jason Kelce.

Mental health almost demands a scapegoat in situations where far deeper problems exist because dealing with the latter will take some real work. 

The Eagles will likely settle for that fresh coat of paint.