After starting the season 10-1, the Philadelphia Eagles were routed 32-9 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card round. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Hard to believe. That is possibly the best way to describe the removal of the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round after starting the campaign with a 10-1 record and being considered among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Since the defeat against the San Francisco 49ersthose led by Nick Sirianni they lost their way, with 6 defeats in 7 games, crowned with elimination before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-9in a match in which the score is closer than the match itself.
The departure of the coordinators weighed
One of the aspects that is least taken into account in successful teams is the departure of the offensive and defensive coordinators at the end of the season. Just look at the offensive change of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2022 to 2023 following the departure of Eric Bieniemy as a recent example.
It is common for successful team coordinators to receive attention as potential head coaches, and this is what happened with Philadelphia when Jonathan Gannon (former defensive coordinator) came to Arizona Cardinals and Shane Steichen (former offensive coordinator) will sign with the Indianapolis Colts.
Since this moment of Nick Sirianni’s immaturity, the Eagles went 2-6.
Losing both coordinators in the offseason had an even greater effect than anticipated. pic.twitter.com/hX80Z5tkKs
— Álvaro Martín (@AlvaroNFLMartin) January 16, 2024
While Gannon and Steichen exceeded expectations with their respective teams, in Philly They struggled to supply them. Such was the drama that they changed coordinator, Sean Desai for Matt Patricia. The move didn’t work. The offense didn’t fare any better, and Brian Johnson never found a way to rediscover the magic of 2022.
A team without identity
Perhaps most worrying in Philadelphia is that the team stopped executing what had been successful on its way to the Super Bowl. On offense, the Eagles were dominant in the running game, wearing down their opponents and taking advantage of the space behind the secondary with long passes.
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In the defeat against Tampa Bay, Jalen Hurts threw 35 passes for just 15 runs, and it was a reflection of what happened throughout the year. Without AJ Brown the running game to create space, the receivers could not take advantage of their speed in the passing game.
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles offense found no traction all season. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
In 2022, the Eagles were fifth in the NFL with 2,509 rushing yards, in addition to scoring 32 touchdowns; In 2023 they only had 2,192 yards and 22 touchdowns. It is worth mentioning that 15 of them were the product of Hurts and the almost indefensible “tush push”. Despite having D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, Rashard Penny and Boston Scott, Philadelphia did not run the ball consistently.
Finally, neither the offensive line, nor Hurts himself, were close to the level shown a season ago. The talent is there, but the unit looked totally out of coordination.
No pass rush, no depth in the secondary
If what happened in the attack is serious, what happened in the defense was a nightmare. Philadelphia dominated in 2022 thanks to its ability to pressure the opposing passer. Led by Haason Redick, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham, they had 70 quarterback sacks, the most in the NFL.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers exposed the flaws in the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense in the wild card round. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
This season, they only managed 42, ranking 19th in the League. Hargrave left the team, but they drafted Jaelen Carter, who had a solid rookie season. Still, the line was far from last year’s performance and that exposed problems in other lines.
The secondary, which lost CJ Gardner-Johnson in free agency, was attacked frequently, with the biggest problems coming to light on third downs. Without the ability to pressure the quarterback and with a suspect perimeter, his opponents converted 46.15 percent of his third-down attempts.
Unknowns for 2024
Despite having reached the Super Bowl last year, a period of uncertainty is expected in Philadelphia. Jason Kelce announced his companions that he will not return in 2024, while voices have been raised calling for Sirianni’s departure. Some experts have gone so far as to place Bill Belichick as a candidate.
The retirement of Jason Kelce will leave a significant hole in the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Whoever is left in front will have to work on both sides of the ball. The offense has talent, but there’s a reason it wasn’t fully exploited. Maybe it’s just the focus on the run game, but either Johnson or another coordinator must figure out how to get more out of Hurts’ ability.
The defense is in a more complicated situation. The linebackers and perimeter need a new infusion of talent whether in the draft or free agency, having been exposed this season.
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