The Philadelphia Eagles have had a rollercoaster start to the season. They opened things up with a thrilling win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil. However, they immediately squandered that momentum with a heartbreaking loss against the Atlanta Falcons in week two. In both games, the Eagles have looked very uneven and fans should already be evaluating it. From a coaching perspective, which unit has shown the most promise, and which coach could be on the hot seat by season’s end? Here’s an evaluation of the Eagles’ coaching concerns so far.
Eagles Coaching Concerns – Who Could Be On The Hot Seat?
Nick Sirianni
Sirianni is in an interesting position with the team this season. After the 2023 second-half collapse, the coach is embracing a more hands-off role with the team. The play calling is fully in the hands of Kellen Moore on offense which allows Sirianni to be more of an overseer making sure things look crisp and sharp. However, things haven’t exactly looked crisp and he hasn’t seem to be much of a leader in the locker room. Apparently after the catastrophic loss to the Falcons, Sirianni didn’t even address the team post-game.
Instead, that responsibility went to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Sirianni tried to defend his approach by saying that what Jalen talked about in the locker room was perfect and he didn’t need to add to it. Being the leader of the locker room though, one would think the Head Coach would deliver some kind of message of authority or try to rally his team after such a disastrous moment. If the team continues to look sloppy and the team underperforms with the talent on their roster, the calls for Sirianni to be fired will get louder by the week.
Kellen Moore
The newest Eagles offensive coordinator has been somewhat of a mixed bag through the first two weeks of the season. Week one saw Moore breathe fresh air into what was a stagnant offense in 2023. In particular, Moore effected the game by using more pre-snap motion. This was an element that was radically underutilized by Sirianni in 2023. According to the New York Times, the Birds used pre-snap motion on 52.7% of their plays in week one, which is up from 10.9% all last season.
However, in week two, playcalling became a bit more shaky. Sure premium faces like Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith were heavily utilized, but other key playmakers like Dallas Goedert were overlooked. Goedert only had four targets for three catches and 38 yards. Also, several questionable third and short calls along with choosing not to kick the field goal in the first quarter could have been a detriment to the outcome.
With Moore, the key is to not overthink. It’s great that he is implementing more motion and creativity into the offense, but it should not come at the expense of the feel of the game.
Vic Fangio
This might come as a surprise, but Fangio is doing a better job than many fans are giving him credit for. Yes, the defense letting up on the final drive against Atlanta was bad, and Fangio not sending enough pressure on that drive was a mistake. However, as a whole the secondary in particular has thrived in the red zone. Against Green Bay, the Birds held the Packers without a touchdown on eight of their 11 offensive possessions. Against Atlanta, the Eagles held the Falcons without a touchdown on seven of their nine offensive drives.
Much of the problem with the defense has been the lack of pressure in the front seven. Perhaps Roseman could swing a move for a familiar edge rusher in New York… shameless plug.
Main Photo: [Eric Canha] – USA Today Sports
