The Philadelphia Eagles’ first losing streak of the season raises some valid concerns, even though they may still be in a relatively strong position in the NFC East and NFC playoff rankings.
The famous quote “all the runs are unearned, but who cares” was uttered by Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas following a disastrous late-season inning for the team. Furthermore, it seemed like “but who cares” would have been a fitting way to wrap up the numerous reminders that Mike Tirico of NBC gave on Sunday regarding the Eagles’ continued control over their NFC East destiny.
As the Eagles have lost badly to the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers in back-to-back weeks, they are still in control of their own fate in the NFC East. The Eagles and Cowboys, who have split their two games this season, are both 10-3. The Cowboys are currently 7-3 versus NFC opponents, while Philadelphia is 6-2.
But first of all, one shouldn’t take such a result for granted. All four of the Eagles’ remaining games will be at home, but they won’t be easy wins against a Seahawks team that is barely hanging on to make the playoffs. That game takes place in Seattle on Monday. It would seem that the Eagles would easily defeat the lowly New York Giants in their final two games, which are scheduled for Weeks 16 and 18, respectively. However, odd things can happen when you play a divisional opponent twice in a three-week span. Arizona has pulled off upsets against three playoff-contending teams this year: the Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Eagles should easily defeat former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s Cardinals on New Year’s Eve.
Second, you start to question the quality of this year’s Eagles team after watching them play the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, 49ers, and Cowboys in a brutal stretch of games over the last month. Though their record puts them among the better teams in the league, it would be a mistake to overlook some of the worst aspects of the past month when evaluating the Eagles’ chances of winning a Super Bowl.
Despite the impact plays that Fletcher Cox and Haason Reddick made this evening, a talented defensive line may not be enough to overcome what is in front of them. Although both Darius Slay and James Bradberry are excellent cornerbacks, they are on the wrong side of the ball.
While Jalen Hurts, the quarterback, has mainly played well offensively in 2023, he has turned the ball over far more often than he did in his first three NFL seasons. Ten interceptions have been made of him this season after he threw 19 interceptions in 2020 and 2022. Hurts has also fumbled in seven straight games, as Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports pointed out. Since his incredible performances in Weeks 2 and 3, D’Andre Swift has only twice gone over 75 rushing yards, which has put Hurts under pressure. Hurts hasn’t had a reliable running game to relieve this pressure. The Eagles have missed having Shane Steichen in the lineup since he left to become a head coach, even though Brian Johnson might be a future head coach.
The Eagles have, more than anything else, appeared worn out in recent weeks. That’s what happens when you try to rally late in games after being consistently behind at halftime. There are moments when you just need a good laugh, and this season, coach Nick Sirianni’s team hasn’t had many of those. The league as a whole might benefit from having a second open week per team under the 17-game schedule, but that isn’t the current setup, and the Eagles have already had their bye week. Therefore, during the final month of the regular season, the Eagles will need to reenergize on the fly.
The Eagles’ situation is made worse by the fact that, ten days ago, it appeared highly likely that, as the top seed, they would be off during Wild Card Weekend. To make that a reality, the 49ers, who are also 10-3 and possess the tiebreaker against Philadelphia, must now make a mistake.
Going 2-2 during this four-game stretch doesn’t seem like a bad start. Even if the Eagles manage to win the NFC East and guarantee the top spot in the conference going into the postseason, their 2-2 record raises questions about whether this is a team built to make a deep playoff run this year.
