They identified themselves as the Proud, the Philadelphia Proud, in front of everyone.
After losing in the Wild Card to the Bucks, the Eagles were unable to stop the avalanche of dysfunction and chaos that derailed their Super Bowl dreams, and all bets are on whether Nick Sirianni can survive the situation.
Sirianni has made the playoffs in each of his three seasons, but owner Jeffrey Lurie wonders if there is a common vision the emotional head coach will continue to share as the winds of change blow. You have the right to ask difficult questions. roll.
If Lurie had a better option and it wasn't hard to find, no one would begrudge him for choosing it. Not after this.
A lot can change from season to season in the NFL, and after what we just witnessed in the playoffs between the Mike McCarthy Cowboys and Sirianni Eagles, it seems unlikely that the 2023 Giants will be in a dominant position against their divisional rivals. The gap that could not be bridged suddenly becomes unbridgeable. It doesn't look hopelessly huge.
It's true that Brian Daboll had a lot of work to do, starting with filling Wink Martindale's defensive coordinator vacancy and resolving the quarterback position and Saquon Barkley's future, but in 2023… The Eagles were no longer feared in the trench warfare skills of both nations. ball.
They'll never forget the 1964 hold when the Gene Morph Phillies cut a 6¹/₂ game lead with 12 games remaining and lost the pennant to the St. Louis Cardinals.
This is the most colossal collapse in Philadelphia sports history.
But these 2023 Eagles won't be fondly remembered in and around the city where they didn't become a brotherhood. Nor should you.
Because they were also holding back on the stretch.
A crime of losing one's identity.
The defense looked too soft.
Sirianni, in particular, was on the hot seat for his panicked move to take the play call away from DC Sean Desai and give it to Matt Patricia, but the defense had nothing to show for it, couldn't stop the run, and couldn't stop the passer. I couldn't hurry. That was done a year ago.
He lost both his offensive coordinator (Shane Steichen, Colts) and defensive coordinator (Jonathan Gannon, Cardinals) to head coaching positions and suffered because of it.
He needed a compromised Jalen Hurts to save the season and possibly save his job.
However, Hurts was asked to ignore a dislocated middle finger in his thrower, the absence of No. 1 receiver AJ Brown (knee) and the loss of Julio Jones (concussion) in the second quarter.
He's been asked to find a way to recapture some of his 2022 magic in the face of a merciless Todd Bowles blitz, and he'll manage to lead his phenomenal team to take on the Lions in the district round on Sunday. I'm going to send it to Detroit. The Bucks stop there instead.
Hurts was being asked to overcome a reborn, arrogant Baker Mayfield who mocked his tender ribs and soft ankles.
They were required to overcome a game plan that did not allow them to take the goals they conceded lightly.
The Bucs were up 16-3 late in the second quarter when Hurts hit a 55-yard bomb to DeVonta Smith, setting up a 5-yard TD pass to Dallas Goedert to make it 16-9. But it's not 16-11. Because it's amazing. —The Bucks packed in the Eagles' signature push.
Late in the third quarter, Hurts held the ball too long in the end zone and gave up an intentional ground safety, leaving the Bucs with 18 points and the Eagles with nine.
Moments later, James Bradberry missed a tackle on Trey Palmer that resulted in Mayfield's 56-yard TD pass, giving the Bucs 25 points and the Eagles nine points.
When Coach Lurie fired Doug Pederson three seasons after winning Super Bowl LII, he said:
“My first allegiance is, 'What's going to be best for the Philadelphia Eagles and our fans over the next three, four, five years?' It's, 'Is this person worth keeping the job? , or do I deserve to be fired?” It's a different bar.
“The question is not, 'Did Doug deserve to be let go?' No, he didn't deserve to be let go. That's not my origin and it's not a hurdle in the evaluation process.”
Sirianni is probably most interested in what the future holds for the bar.
These were the defending NFC champions, led by a quarterback who went head-to-head with Patrick Mahomes in an emotional 38-35 loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl XV.
The team started the Super Bowl Hangover season 10-1, finishing as the first team since the 1986 Jets to start 10-1 and finish with fewer than 11 wins.
This was the same team that blew a 21-6 halftime lead over the woeful Cardinals at the rink, fell to the woeful Giants, and handed the NFC East title to the Cowboys.
It hurts so much.
There were also Philadelphia Flops. The 1981 Sixers lost to the Larry Bird Celtics in the last three games of the Eastern Conference Finals, and the 1968 defending champion Wilt Chamberlain Sixers defeated the Celtics 3-1 in the Eastern Division Finals. broke the lead. And even the 2023 Phillies lost to the Dobacks in Games 6 and 7 of the National League CS at Citizens Bank Park.
Misery loves company.
Bye bye birdie.
