The Philadelphia Eagles didn't expect to be cleaning out their lockers Tuesday morning after their wild-card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the struggles seen at the end of the regular season showed up again in the playoffs, and the season ended in disastrous fashion.
Right tackle Lane Johnson didn't ignore what the Eagles' record clearly shows. The Eagles were 10-1 at one point this season, but then finished 11-6 and lost 32-9 in the playoffs.
“It's embarrassing to start 10-1 and lose six of seven,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “We had six weeks to tell them how to fix the problem and they did nothing. This is the first time I've ever been in this position. I don't want to be in this position again. .”
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Lane Johnson of the Eagles reacts during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on November 5, 2023. (Mitchell Lev/Getty Images)
As Johnson alluded to, the Eagles knew they had a playoff berth, so the goal was always to resolve the situation before Monday night's incident. Instead, finishing the year with two losses to the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants (two teams who are in the top six of the 2024 NFL Draft after below-average seasons), Philadelphia lost its last six games. He lost five games.
Still, there was a glimmer of hope for Eagles fans that the team would get it right when it mattered most.
Instead, the defense continued to be an issue, especially in the secondary with coverage failures and lack of tackles. Meanwhile, the offensive line came under intense scrutiny for its inability to handle blitzes from Buccaneers defenders.
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Of course, offensive tactics come into play here as well, but Johnson made no excuses. In fact, he went on to tell the hard truth about some of the things he saw from his fellow linemen but didn't want to see in the future.
“What I tell our players is, no matter what the scoreboard says, you've got to play,” Johnson said before the statement, citing instances of poor body language he witnessed from teammates throughout the season. stated. “no [sloppiness]No need to clap your hands or sulk after a bad play. He walks up to the line of scrimmage like a robot, as if nothing happened.
caveat: Video below Contains explicit language
“I think what we need to address before the start of next season is never giving anything to our opponents. They're grumpy and in bad shape when you see them on film.” [language], all that kind of stuff. You can't give anything to the other person. ”
Johnson, who was selected by the Eagles with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State, said he believes he still has a few good years left. When healthy, Johnson has been a mainstay on the Eagles front line for more than a decade.
Lane Johnson of the Eagles plays against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on December 31, 2023. (Mitchell Lev/Getty Images)
He was arguably the best offensive line in the NFL this season, along with players like Jason Kelce, fellow tackle Jordan Mailata, and guards Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens. They will have to fill in for Kelce as he has reportedly retired his cleats, but there is still a lot to resolve after the Eagles' fall from grace this season.
One of the main questions is whether Nick Sirianni's job as head coach is safe, especially with candidates like Mike Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick on the market. Again, Johnson knows the Eagles had time to fix it, but nothing changed.
The players are always responsible for their struggles, but coaches need to take responsibility as well.
This is a strange situation for the Eagles, who many believed would get revenge in this season's Super Bowl after losing a big game to the Kansas City Chiefs last February.
Lane Johnson of the Eagles after a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on October 22, 2023. (Mitchell Lev/Getty Images)
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Either way, Johnson hopes his teammates will be tougher in 2024 and beyond.
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