Eagles Can’t Retain Nick Sirianni Based On “Optics”
Nick Sirianni is probably as comfortable as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs while conversation swirls about whether or not he should be fired.
When his team was spiraling in 2021, he was able to tap Shane Steichen as the play caller. The team finished 7-3 and made the playoffs. Last season was a joy ride that displayed dominance and ended in heartbreak. This season, without his two highly-sought-after coordinators, everything has fallen apart.
The Eagles are a laughing stock after their 10-1 start led to complete collapse and disarray. Some say you can’t part with Nick Sirianni if they flame out in Tampa Bay because of optics. I believe the “optics” have already been horrific, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
No NFL team has ever started 10-1 and finished 11-6.
In the old 16-game season format, the Eagles would have finished 11-5. That would have matched the worst finish ever for a 10-1 team. Since we have 17 games, the Eagles now hold the mark as the all-time worst 10-1 collapse teams.
Jalen Hurts has regressed.
If he didn’t get injured against the Bears in Week 15 last season, Jalen Hurts probably walks away with the NFL MVP Award. This season, he has looked closer at times to the 2021 version of himself. Too many turnovers and not enough passing yards is a bad combination.
The defense has never looked worse.
The fan base in Philadelphia loves a punishing, physical defensive club. The 2023 version of the Eagles was neither. They somehow saw the most dominant sack squad in history from 2022 regress to middle of the pack in 2023. Sean Desai paid the price when the Eagles replaced him with five games to go. They didn’t worry about optics with that one!
Loaded offensive talent still sputters.
Last season, the defense was better rested because the offense was able to limit possessions with good ball control. This season under Brian Johnson, the team obviously moved away from that “run the ball” mentality. When they needed to play keep away, they couldn’t. Time management was also a consistent issue.
The locker room has sprung a leak.
Under Doug Pederson, the NovaCare Complex had a locker room where secrets came out publicly. Nick Sirianni had plugged those leaks well in his first two seasons. Once things took a bad turn in 2023, the whisper campaign started up again. That’s never a good look for a franchise.
My Take
I’m reluctant to say Nick Sirianni should be fired, but I’m also not privy to private information that could sway my opinion that is sure to come out eventually. I would move on from the defensive staff and the offensive coordinator.
There are veteran former head coaches on both sides of the ball that could be available to fill those positions. It’s obvious that Nick Sirianni wasn’t able to stop the tailspin once it started. He could use some veteran coaching intervention when necessary moving forward.
Nick Sirianni's message seems to be falling flat, says @JeffKerrCBS.
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 8, 2024
“It just seems that Nick Sirianni is sending out the same message every week. I rolled my eyes when I heard that, so what are the players doing when they continuously hear it.”
(@975JKShow)
📸Elsa/Getty Image pic.twitter.com/EKPxyLGbxi
Watch The John Kincade Show on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.
