Nick Sirianni Continues Standing By Playcaller Despite Struggling Offense

PHILADELPHIA – Pockets of fans began a chant late in the Eagles’ 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears on Black Friday: “Fire, Kevin.” Over and over, it went. One woman tried to talk some sense to her son, “it’s more than just him,” according to a fan sitting in their section.

It is, but nobody wants to hear that. Someone has to pay for an offense that had all of two first downs, three points, and 83 yards of offense in the first half of a game the Eagles never led? Someone has to be sacrificed for losing a home game on national TV. Right?

It won’t be offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. At least it won’t be him if head coach Nick Sirianni has anything to say about it.

“No, we're not changing the play caller, but we will evaluate everything,” said Sirianni.

He’s been saying the same thing for much of the season, and yet here the Eagles are, on a two-game losing streak as they head into the final month of the season. They are still 8-4, but that is one more loss than they had last year when they played 21 games and won the Super Bowl.

So, Sirianni said it again.

“When you win, when you lose, it's never about one person,” he said. “We all collectively have to do a better job and that's going to be starting with us as coaches, starting with me as head coach.”

What Will The Owner And GM Say?

Perhaps we’ll see how owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager feel about it. They are the only ones who can step in if they feel it’s an unfixable problem, and it feels like it is. It’s been nine games now, out of the 12 played, where the Eagles have scored seven or fewer points in an entire half.

“I know it will keep coming back to Kevin, but again, if I thought it was one thing, then you make those changes,” said Sirianni. “Obviously, it's a lot of different things, but I don't think it is Kevin. Now, we all have a part in it. Kevin has a part of it. I have a part of it. All the coaches have a part of it. All the players have a part of it. Again, you win and lose as a team. It's never on one thing.”

That’s supposed to make everyone feel better. That there’s more than one thing that needs fixed, and there are just five games left now to do it. Compounding the urgency is that the red-hot Cowboys are now breathing down the Eagles’ neck in the NFC East. It was a division that seemed to be theirs in a runaway when they were finding ways to win despite an offense that kept shooting itself in the foot.

Now, the defense is getting into the act and not coming to the rescue. It allowed 281 yards on the ground and close to 500 total yards of offense.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a defense that allowed that many yards on the ground,” said Nakobe Dean.

There are no “fire Vic Fangio” chants, though. The defensive coordinator has over 40 years of coaching experience. Patullo, in his first year as an OC, doesn’t have that resume. What he does have is Sirianni’s support as well as some key players, such as Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown.

“I don’t think something big needs to change,” said Barkley. “The sky is falling outside the locker room. We understand that. But I have nothing but the utmost confidence in the men in this locker room, players and coaches included. It’s going to take all of us to come together, block out the noise. We can’t be pointing fingers because everybody is contributing to the way we’re playing right now. Literally, every single body. We all gotta play better.”

Brown called the question about personnel or coaching changes “crazy,” then said no changes were needed. With extra time off before they play again, that could change.

More NFL: Eagles Offense Sputters Again In 24-15 Loss To Bears