The Philadelphia Eagles have gotten back on the right foot since the bye week. They’re 4-0 since their much-needed rest and have gotten right back into the playoff picture. However, in spite of all this, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni still gets heavy amounts of criticism. Lately, its been for what is considered by some his overly-aggressive style of playcalling. In particular, this style often appears when he elects to go for it on fourth downs in the opponent’s red zone rather than kicking field goals. Sirianni had addressed his playcalling multiple times this season. Does he look to tone down the aggression anytime soon?
What Does The Team View of Sirianni’s Philosophy?
Philly Sports Network reported earlier this week that the team’s aggression on fourth downs may not just be a Sirianni philosophy but an organizational one. The team used aggressive playcalling under previous regimes as well. Former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was known for his aggression. The most famous instance of this came in Superbowl 52. Right before the half, the team could have kicked a field goal on fourth down at the Patriots’ goal line. Instead, the team went for the famous Philly Special play, and the rest is history.
In particular, Sirianni’s playcalling has been questioned in matchups against the Saints and Jaguars. The team opted at multiple points to go for it on fourth down deep in opponent territory and failed. These instances took points off the board for the team, making them closer than they could have been. Also, when Sirianni elected for field goals, they trotted out Jake Elliott on long-distance attempts that both failed late. This gave both the Saints and Jaguars opportunities to win the game with short fields.
While the mistakes didn’t come back to bite them in those contests, they could in the future.
What Does This Mean For The Team Going Forward?
If there is one play the Eagles aren’t going to abandon anytime soon its the tush push. As Philly Sports Network stated. The play worked 90% of the time in 2023 on fourth-down conversions. Even in the absence of Jason Kelce, the play has still been successful this year. However, the team could still opt to have more in-game awareness and choose to take points at times. This could potentially extend leads late in games and take pressure off the offensive and defensive units.
One thing that could have attributed to Jalen Hurts’ early turnover struggles was having to overthrow the football. If the team has more comfortable leads, Jalen won’t have to play as much her ball. Also, the defense won’t have to clamp down as frequently late in games to secure victories.
The team has a key matchup coming up this week against the Dallas Cowboys. Being that they are very injured, taking advantage of early scoring opportunities could lead to a commanding win. Being more cautious could also be effective in big matchups against teams like the division-leading Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens.
Main Image: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports
