Biggest Storyline Of The First Half Of The Eagles Season
The 2024 National Football League season is heading into Week 10, meaning the season is halfway over. The Philadelphia Eagles are 6-2 and in second place in the NFC East behind the Washington Commanders. Nick Sirianni’s team had high expectations heading into 2024, so the slow start through the first four weeks had fans enraged. Jalen Hurts had a turnover problem, the defense was inconsistent, and the head coach’s job security was being questioned.
The Eagles are on a four-game win streak since the Week 5 bye. Hurts hasn’t turned the ball over since Week 4, the defense has improved dramatically, and Sirianni’s job security is still being questioned.
The Eagles started the season with a 2-2 record. Nobody expected this talented team to perform like they were. When things aren’t up to standard in Philadelphia, the fans and the media stir up drama. That’s exactly what happened when talking about Sirianni’s job. It might seem crazy to talk about a coaching change four games into a new season, but the disapproval stemmed back to the Eagles’ late-season collapse in 2023. The Eagles lost five of their last six regular-season games, and were blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round.
Philadelphia won an ugly game at home, coming out of the bye against the Cleveland Browns, to start the four-game win streak. Sirianni didn’t help his case, as he was seen yelling at fans in the crowd in the final moments of the game. He heard the conversations about his job security as well as “fire Sirianni” chants during the game.
The Eagles dominated the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals in back-to-back weeks on the road, creating a sense of relief across the City of Brotherly Love. They looked to be en route to a third consecutive blowout win in Week 9 at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars, before a second-half comeback. The Eagles still won the game 28-23, but it could’ve easily resulted in a loss.
Sirianni made multiple questionable decisions throughout the Week 9 win. He decided to go for it two different times in Jaguars territory on fourth and short, instead of attempting makeable field goals. The Eagles failed to convert both times. He also decided to attempt three two-point conversions, instead of kicking the extra points, and all three attempts failed.
Sirianni is known to be an aggressive coach, but there are times when he has to take the easy points. He left potentially nine points out there, in a five-point game, where the Jaguars had an opportunity to take the lead in the final two minutes.
The Eagles have nine games remaining on the schedule. The next two weeks are important in terms of the NFC East. The team heads to Dallas to take on the 3-5 Cowboys, who will be without quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 10. They’ll head home to face the first-place Commanders on Thursday Night Football in Week 11. The fate of the division winner could be decided over the next two weeks.
If Hurts can continue to protect the football, the defense keeps playing the way they’ve been since the bye week, and Saquon Barkley continues his dominant season, the Eagles will be a force to be reckoned with in the second half of the season. Sirianni has to adjust, and make better decisions, if he wants to avoid the hot seat.