By Andrew Franceski, Staff Reporter
The leaves are beginning to change, the weather is getting chillier, and school bells have begun to ring. This can only mean one thing: Eagles season.
Every year, I find myself spending my Sundays alternating between cheering and yelling at the tv, as if it can hear me and relay my messages. This summer, the Eagles had a lot of hype surrounding their 2021-2022 campaign.
The team had a new head coach, Nick Sirianni. I loved the hiring initially, but after being embarrassed by the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, I am having buyer’s remorse. The Eagles also have a new defense coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, and a new offensive coordinator, Shane Steichen. Howie Roseman drafted the new star wide receiver, Devonta Smith, and traded Carson Wentz for draft capital.
Through training camp and the preseason, Jalen Hurts looked very promising and much to my surprise remained calm in the pocket and was mobile on the field, something Wentz lacked during his time in Philadelphia. The Eagles also had an easy schedule through the first few weeks of the season, opening against the Falcons then home to play the 49ers, a trip to Dallas and the struggling Chiefs at home. The Eagles have not capitalized.
After a Week 1, 32-6 victory against the Atlanta Falcons during which both sides of the ball showed their talent, including one of the best throws by any Quarterback during Week 1, a 35- yard Hurts TD pass to Devonta Smith, the Eagles regressed at home against the 49ers. Harkening back to the Chip Kelly days of old, the defense was kept on the field for almost double that of the offense. The offense’s inability to generate a clock draining drive eventually tired out the defense, who were chipped away at by Jimmy Garoppolo and fell 17-11 after last minute heroics fell short. During this game as well, I was not happy with the play calling by Sirianni especially on the goal line. The crescendo of these failed plays was the failed Philly Special on 4th and goal. Flashy plays do not win football games.
Against the Cowboys, the offense looked stale. Every other play was a short pass back to the line of scrimmage, or a breakdown of the offensive line. This led to many Jalen Hurts scrambles, two interceptions, and only 21 points. The sting of defeat was made worse, by Nick Sirianni wearing a “Beat Dallas” shirt all week, before the game, and then being embarrassed 41-21 in Dallas.
The Eagles returned to the Linc, for a showdown with the floundering Chiefs, and once again disappointed. Their defense was unable to stop Tyreke Hill, and costly penalties by Andre Dillard stalled three drives en route to a 42-30 defeat that dropped the Eagles to 1-3.
The Eagles do play in the NFC East, where the division is always up for grabs, but at 1-3, and with a difficult October coming up, it may already be too late for the season. There are two types of Eagles fans, optimists and realists, and I hope that this year once again, the realists are wrong. So, for now, FLY EAGLES FLY.
Andrew Franceski can be reached at [email protected].
