Getty Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is holding himself accountable for the team's loss in Week 2.
Six games into the Nick Sirianni experience and there are already calls for his ouster. His unbalanced offensive play-calling has come under fire, as well as game management issues from the first-year head coach. All fixable things, but that won’t quiet the rumor mill from placing him on the proverbial “hot seat.”
Perhaps a vote of confidence from a plugged-in NFL reporter will shush the noise. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports gave an emphatic “no, not at all” answer when asked if Sirianni was in danger of being fired. The Philadelphia Eagles hold a 2-4 record – tied for second place in the NFC East – after losing four of their last five contests.
The schedule softens up a bit in the coming weeks, so there is hope for a turnaround. If not, Sirianni probably gets a pass in year one. Glazer said the following:
No. Not at all. Listen, he’s a first-year head coach there, and I know Philadelphia is tough, but he’s not on the hot seat this early on. But that’s what happens in Philly, right? Just want to say, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re losing,’ but no. They’re not going to fire him after year one
Another edition of #AskGlazer! Is Sirianni on the hot seat in Philly? The #Cardinals added Zach Ertz and Gronk updates! Is Sam Darnold the long-term QB in #Carolina? Gettleman is definitely on the hot seat and my early front runner for the #1 pick in the 2022 #NFLDraft. @nflonfox
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Sirianni Takes Blame for Poor Play-Calling
The run-to-pass ratio has been an issue in Philly dating back to Andy Reid’s tenure. It is the first thing fans start to question and point at when the Eagles are losing games. Sirianni’s play-calling through six contests has made the running game an after-thought.
And Miles Sanders has been a ghost. He rushed nine times for 56 yards in Week 6 to raise his total rushes this season to 57. That’s only 9.5 carries per game. He also has 18 receptions on 23 targets. Not enough.
“There’s no doubt we’ve gotta get the ball to Miles more,” Sirianni told SportsRadio 94WIP, “and we gotta be more balanced pass and run. I get their frustration. And like I said, we’re doing everything we can to fix that.”
Compare that to 53 rushes for quarterback Jalen Hurts. Not acceptable. And Sirianni knows it.
“Well, when you’re not playing good on offense that’s the first place that the fans should look, is the play caller, and what he is calling and if it’s working or not,” Sirianni told Angelo Cataldi. “And right now, these last few games in particularly, we’ve been bad on offense, there’s no hiding it, there’s no question about it. So I understand their frustration.”
Sanders Making Most of Limited Touches
The weirdest part of the grounded run game is that Sanders isn’t playing poorly. He has 270 yards in six games while picking up 4.7 yards a clip. The third-year running back has every right to complain about his lack of involvement, but it’s not in his nature to do that. After a Week 3 beatdown in Dallas – one in which Sanders received just two carries – the running back seemed resigned to his role.
Miles Sanders: “I do believe to have a successful offense you need to run the ball.” Firmly stands behind Sirianni and Hurts though. “On to Kansas City.” #Eagles
“I can only control what I can control,” Sanders said, via Pro Football Talk. “And the way the game was pretty much out of hand early, I can see why the game plan or whatever they had planned didn’t go as planned.” Later, he noted: “I do believe to have a successful offense, you have to run the ball.”