Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has final say on every play call. Sometimes he steps in and makes the call himself, especially on offense.
“Here and there, that’s going to happen,” he said. “Everything is collaborative as far as the way we go through our process and in-game.”
Unfortunately, some of Sirianni’s questionable decisions have overshadowed how well the offense has been moving the ball under new coordinator Kellen Moore, because several good drives haven’t ended up in points.
Last week, the Birds piled up 483 yards of offense against New Orleans — yet only finished with 15 points to show for it. And they needed a fourth-quarter comeback for the win. But it isn’t all on Sirianni.
That unforced fumble by Jalen Hurts was reminiscent of his fumble in the Super Bowl two years ago, which arguably cost the Eagles the game. (Hurts himself said it did, when he addressed his teammates in the locker room afterward.)
Then there was his interception in the end zone. It may have been just as much on DeVonta Smith for not running a clean route, but Hurts’ struggles to take care of the ball have been an ongoing theme.
Hurts has led the league in turnovers since the start of last season. That’s not sustainable for winning, whether it’s against Tampa Bay (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX, 94.1-WIP FM) or it’s the big picture of the Eagles’ postseason aspirations.
“I just see him consistently come to work, be the same guy every single day,” Sirianni said of Hurts. “He works so hard to be better, to continue to get better through everything that he does.
“I told you what I felt about him, he’s a winner,” he said. “Look at the three times he led his team to the playoffs. So I laugh a little bit at the criticism, but I also understand.”
The Buccaneers (2-1) trounced the Eagles 32-9 in the Wild Card round last season after the Eagles (2-1) had beaten them in Week 3.
Their quarterback, a rejuvenated Baker Mayfield, was solid in the first two games of this season — wins against Washington and Detroit — before a dud against Denver last week in which the entire team looked bad. Tampa Bay is looking to rebound against the Birds.
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Eagles running back Saquon Barkley leads the league in rushing yards (351) so far. His four rushing touchdowns are tied for first with Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry and Kyren Williams. … The Eagles’ defensive front emerged last week against New Orleans, and safety Reed Blankenship sealed the victory with a pick. Dating back to last season, Blankenship has the Eagles’ last three interceptions. … Tom Brady will be on the TV call with FOX’s first team of Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.
