Strain Of Passing Game Problems Are Showing For The Eagles

The Eagles have been under 200 passing yards for three consecutive weeks.

Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - It didn’t feel like a winning locker room on Sunday afternoon, moments after the Eagles outlasted the upstart Carolina Panthers, 22-16, for their ninth consecutive win.

Star left tackle Jordan Mailata was honest, All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown was short, and Nick Sirianni-minted “MVP candidate” was cryptic.

And it was all about a passing game that has gone south for the winter.

“S@#$ty job,” is how Mailata described the offense. “... I just felt like we didn’t play complimentary ball and kept putting our defense — the offense kept putting our defense in s@#$tty situations. And then making them look bad, even on short fields. 

“Now, there is a bright spot — the run game was still there and still efficient. Jalen’s scrambling was nice. The run game wasn’t as firm as we are used to, but at the same time we’re getting questions about the pass game. Why is it not the same? Just because we’re a little leaky right now. We’ll go and watch the film, get our communications the way it was.”

Brown, who wasn’t targeted until late in the second quarter and finished with four receptions on four targets for 43 yards was asked what the offense needs to improve on.

“Passing,” a succinct Brown said.

Hurts has combined for 226 passing yards over the Eagles' last two wins at Baltimore and vs. the Panthers dropped this bomb.

"You know, I played my role in how we execute, but ultimately, it's about what position we put ourselves in. That's not my choice."

Sirianni, meanwhile, did what he could after the game sending a positive message.

“Enjoy the victory,” the coach said. “Don't be a prisoner of your expectations. Enjoy it.”

And the coach also made sure to protect a QB who has now been under 250 passing yards for eight consecutive games with three of those at 118 yards or less.

“I said what I said about him last week, he deserves to be in the MVP conversation. I stand by that,” Sirianni said of Hurts. “He's done a lot of really good things. Like I said, as a whole, coaching and playing, as a whole, everybody, it wasn't quite good enough in the pass game, but you’ve got to give the Carolina Panthers credit for that.”

"I think they did a good job. I think we did a bad job," Hurts said. "That starts with me, how I execute, and ultimately, you yearn, and I yearn for better synchronization amongst that, for a more complimentary style of ball, in a sense. You know, some things don't get you until it gets you.

"And there's definitely been some urgency there, trying to figure it out. And got to keep climbing and trying to progress."

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