The Philadelphia Eagles capped off an epic late-season collapse on Sunday with an embarrassing 27-10 loss to the New York Giants. Going into Week 18, the Eagles had a 13-3 record and control of the NFC East. But after losing their last two games, they limp into the playoffs having gone just 1-5 over the past six games.
Eagles “Didn’t Even Show Up”
The Eagles didn’t just lose to the Giants – they failed to put up any fight whatsoever. As one reporter put it, the Eagles “didn’t even show up” for the biggest game of their season. They surrendered 4 rushing touchdowns to a Giants team that ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing offense.
To make matters worse, head coach Nick Sirianni pulled Jalen Hurts in the second half with the game out of hand. It was an embarrassing end to what had looked like an MVP-caliber season for Hurts. He tallied just 229 passing yards, no touchdowns and a fumble.
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1st | Giants 10, Eagles 0 |
| 2nd | Giants 17, Eagles 0 |
| 3rd | Giants 24, Eagles 3 |
| 4th | Giants 27, Eagles 10 |
As the home team and with the NFC East title on the line, the performance was nothing short of humiliating. Players and coaches seemed as shocked as anyone. Center Jason Kelce called it “wildly embarrassing” and said the team will need to do some soul searching.
Playoff Hopes Now in Jeopardy
The loss not only costs the Eagles the NFC East title, but also puts their once promising playoff hopes in jeopardy. At 14-3, they are likely to enter the playoffs as a Wild Card team. And with backup QB Gardner Minshew appearing overwhelmed against New York, the Eagles seem primed for an early exit.
They will face the red hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week, who have won 9 of their last 10 games behind resurgent QB Tom Brady. Brady notoriously dominates the Eagles, boasting a 6-0 career record against them in the postseason.
If the Eagles move past Tampa, they could face the 12-4 San Francisco 49ers and the league’s #1 defense. In other words, after Sunday’s no-show, not many are giving the Eagles a chance to make a postseason run.
Calls Mount for Sirianni to Be Fired
After such an epic collapse, many are calling for head coach Nick Sirianni to be fired. Expectations were sky high for the Eagles after their hot 13-1 start. But the team now looks poorly coached and lacking in effort at the worst possible time.
Sirianni is just two years into his tenure in Philadelphia. But as Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson wrote, his “egg-laying” against New York puts his job security in question:
“Sirianni has to own this egg-laying at the end of the regular season. The bottom fell out of this roster when it mattered most and that’s on coaching.”
If the Eagles exit early from the playoffs, owner Jeffrey Lurie would have a major decision to make on Sirianni’s future.
What’s Next for the Eagles
The Eagles must regroup in a hurry and decide whether to rest their starters against Tampa Bay. Handing the keys to Minshew is risky, but the team also cannot afford another disastrous injury to Jalen Hurts.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, the league’s Most Valuable Player award likely slipped from Hurts’ grasp after his late season stumbles. Hurts had been neck-and-neck with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, but Mahomes finished strong to lead Kansas City to the AFC’s #1 seed.
In the big picture, it’s hard not to see this Eagles season as a disappointment. They were the league’s last unbeaten team and appeared poised for a deep playoff run. But ever since losing to Washington in Week 10, little has gone right.
No matter how the season ends, major questions loom about Nick Sirianni’s job security, Jalen Hurts’ development, and the roster’s glaring holes on defense. For now though, the Eagles must quickly pick up the pieces after an absolutely humiliating loss. Their playoffs start in 6 days whether they are ready or not.
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