The rough start to the season for the Philadelphia Eagles offense continued in Week 4. Actually, without Devonta Smith and Saquon Barkley, who left during Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, the Eagles offense reached a new low.
The unit posted just 172 yards, averaging three yards per play. The Eagles didn’t score in the second half and blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead.
But the worst statistic of all was the team’s third-down offense. Philadelphia failed to convert a single third down, going 0-for-12 on third down versus the Rams defense.
Behind what media personality Trey Wingo called the worst third-down performance in franchise’s history, social media put the Eagles offense and head coach Nick Sirianni on blast after Sunday’s performance.
“Eagles ended the game 0-for-12 on third down,” wrote Philadelphia sports analyst Grace Del Pizzo. This loss is on Nick Sirianni and Sean Mannion for their inability to field a competitive offensive scheme.
“Nick Sirianni could get fired tomorrow and nobody would consider hiring him as Head Coach,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Thomas R. Petersen. “I’m not sure he would get an OC job either.”
“This is a Nick Sirianni loss,” wrote media personality Tyrone Johnson. “McVay stunk and was still 100x better today. Pathetic loss by the Eagles.”
“I expected the Eagles to lose this game, but I didn’t expect them to hold a 20-10 lead late,” wrote Eagles writer Anthony DiBona. The win was there for the taking, and Nick Sirianni, Sean Mannion and Jalen Hurts all played a part in fumbling it away.
“The Eagles drop to 2-2 and have several key starters banged up.”
Eagles Fail to Convert 3rd Down in Rams Loss
The Rams outgained the Eagles 415-172 in Sunday’s Week 4 matchup. With that in mind, it’s hard to argue Philadelphia should have won.
But with the Eagles failing to convert any third downs, they couldn’t hold onto the ball to run out the clock in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia’s defense was on the field in the final quarter for nearly nine minutes and gave up two touchdowns.
Philadelphia’s best drive in the second half ended at the Rams 2-yard line with under eight minutes left in regulation. On third-and-goal, quarterback Jalen Hurts fumbled the snap, which he recovered for no gain.
Going for it on fourth down, Hurts then threw an incomplete pass to turn the ball over on downs.
That was one of three failed fourth-down conversions for the Eagles in the game. The Rams also stopped a fourth-and-1 tush-push play in the third quarter.
On third and fourth down combined, the Eagles were 1-for-16.
“It’s just such a good look under the lens of the summation of who they are,” wrote Philly Fan Life’s Aidan Powers. “Maybe one play call or decision doesn’t sink them but their operations after that point always does.”
Eagles Need to Regroup After 2-2 Start
The Eagles have been perennial fast starters under Sirianni. But one year where they didn’t get off to the best start, the 2024 campaign, they won the Super Bowl.
Sirianni and the Eagles were 2-2 to begin the 2024 campaign. They then won 10 straight and finished the regular season 14-3. The Eagles went on a dominating playoff run on their way to a second title.
Surely that could happen again. But the feelings around the Eagles entering Week 5 will understandably be low after blowing Sunday’s game.
New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has not injected a fresh energy or play-calling ability as the Eagles hoped. Without a dominant ground game, Hurts has been very limited the past two games. The Eagles quarterback had just 93 passing yards while completing under 50% of his passes versus the Rams.
Not having Smith surely hurt, but that shouldn’t prevent an offense from reaching 100 passing yards. Including sacks, the Eagles officially finished with 68 passing yards in Week 4.
No wonder the team didn’t convert a third down.
The Eagles almost escaped Week 4 with a win. But the lack of even a single third-down conversion was eventually too much to overcome.
Eagles’ Nick Sirianni Under Fire After Historically Bad 3rd-Down Offense vs. Rams