Eagles QB Jalen Hurts’ response to Nick Sirianni’s game-losing decision in London speaks volumes about the vibes in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Eagles let a winnable game slip away against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, and Jalen Hurts was asked about the clock management that opened the door. His answer pointed straight at the sideline.
The Philadelphia Eagles‘ trip to London ended in a comedy of errors. Philadelphia lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars on a 56-yard field goal from Cam Little as time expired, and that game never should have come down to that kick.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts was asked about the finish afterward. His response said a lot more than the words themselves.
Jalen Hurts deflects the blame for Eagles’ clock management
Per a post from Philly Eagles, Hurts was asked why the offense didn’t drain more clock before kicker Jake Elliott’s go-ahead field goal. That kick could have, and really should have, won the Eagles the game.
“Ultimately, that’s not my place,” Hurts said.
In my opinion, that is a direct shot at Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, even if Hurts didn’t say as much. Clock management is Sirianni’s place. He is the head coach, and he is the offensive architect of this team, even if he isn’t the one calling plays.
Philadelphia still kicked the go-ahead field goal and left eight seconds on the clock. Jacksonville then broke off a huge kickoff return, Little got into range, and he knocked it through the uprights. It happened in a game the Jaguars were practically begging the Eagles to win.
Eagles offensive stats vs. Jaguars
- 232 total yards
- 22 rushing yards
- 3.9 yards per play
Nick Sirianni takes full accountability
To be fair to Sirianni, he didn’t run from it. He owned the decision when he spoke after the game.
“I didn’t make the right decision and I lost us that game. I told that to our guys. I put that fully on me,” Sirianni said.
That accountability matters, and I respect him for saying it. But a growing number of Eagles fans are starting to see a bigger problem. A lot of these losses trace back to Sirianni.
The buck stops with Sirianni
Sure, the offense deserves plenty of blame for last week. Hurts and the Eagles went 0-for-12 on third down, and that is unacceptable for a team with this much talent.
So the question becomes, who hired the offensive coordinators running that unit? Who is the supposed offensive mastermind? Who has been in charge for multiple years now while the offense hasn’t looked anything close to the group that won the Super Bowl?
The answer to all of those questions is Sirianni. On top of that, he is in charge of coordinator hires on both sides of the ball. He also helps general manager Howie Roseman find the personnel on defense.
Sirianni deserves credit for owning a decision this costly. Accountability after the fact doesn’t change the result, though, and the clock management issues are only one piece of a much larger pattern. The game-costing decisions keep piling up, and the problems go far beyond one bad sequence in London.
Eagles fans are starting to notice. Philadelphia now sits at 2-3 with three straight losses, and those questions keep landing on the head coach’s desk.
