Very Little to be Hopeful for Even as Schedule Supposedly Softens
There’s one game left in October.
This was supposed to be when the Eagles were supposed to be playing better, heading into November and December.
The first two months of the season were supposed to be a growing process, with a young coaching staff and a team with youth in key positions meshing as the halfway point of the season approached.
It sounded good in theory.
The reality is there hasn’t been a single thing that gives hope that the final 10 games will be any different than the first seven.
The only thing that looks more lost than the defense is the offense.
Head coach Nick Sirianni’s play-calling and play-design have been suspect. It looks like it's just too much Jalen Hurts and not enough anything else.
An opening drive for a touchdown in a 33-22 loss to the Raiders on Sunday then nothing until the Eagles were down 30-7. Ballgame.
Jonathan Gannon’s defense, well, exactly what is that defense?
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There is nothing at all this team does well. Except maybe punt.
Hurts? The quarterback hasn’t looked like the answer for the present or future, and now, with Gardner Minshew being elevated to Hurts’ top backup after Joe Flacco was traded to the New York Jets on Monday, there are questions being asked whether or not Minshew will eventually take over for Hurts.
The quarterback controversy is back, a year after the Carson Wentz saga torpedoed this team.
Asked point-blank on Monday if he was considering making a quarterback change, Sirianni said simply, “No.”
The follow-up question was: Is there any point in which you could see making the QB switch?
“No, I got a ton of faith in - obviously, I really like Gardner and I think he's a good backup, but I got a ton of faith in Jalen,” he said. “He will be our starting quarterback.”
The Eagles are supposed to have the easiest schedule remaining.
MORE: Ten Thoughts a Day After Eagles Lose to Raiders
When a team is 2-5, however, with nothing in the slightest to be optimistic about, there is no such thing as easy.
Even the winless Detroit Lions figure to be a challenge on Sunday when the Eagles head to the Midwest in a matchup of rookie head coaches.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell’s team has come close a few times this year. You know they are looking at this game, against this Eagles team, as a chance to find the win column for the first time.
After the visit to Detroit, the Chargers come to town, also coached by a first-year coach in Brandon Staley, who is in the conversation for Coach of the Year, and somebody the Eagles had wanted to interview, but he reportedly declined.
So far, Lincoln Financial Field has been a house of horrors for Philadelphia. The Eagles are 0-3 there. Frankly, there have been more boos than cheers there.
Nothing easy about that game and it looks like the home record will sit at 0-4.
Then come trips to Denver and a home game against the Saints.
Where’s the big easy against those two teams? Both teams are just better than Philadelphia's.
This is where it could get dangerous. If the Eagles fall to both the Chargers and Saints, they will be 0-5 at home, and apathy could set in. That should concern Jeffrey Lurie.
The owner has a passionate fan base, no doubt, but even one as rapid as this one has its limits. Will they continue to show up for the type of product that has been on display so far, where blowouts have become the uncomfortable norm?
Finally, some relief with the two New York teams – Giants followed by Jets. Maybe Flacco will be playing for the Jets then.
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It’s all NFC East over the final four weeks.
This was supposed to be the time the Eagles made their run, because they were supposed to be playing better in November and December.
It just doesn’t seem possible that theory will pan out, however, and plenty of empty seats could begin to dot the Linc landscape.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
