Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen doesn’t hold back in critique of Saints loss as Birds prepare for Week 18, Giants

Shane Steichen didn’t shy away from the obvious.

While speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, the Eagles offensive coordinator labeled the team’s 20-10 upset loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon as his “worst game” as a play-caller.

The Eagles opened the Week 17 contest with four consecutive three-and-outs and were shut out in the first half. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew was sacked six times, including four sacks over the team’s first eight plays. The miscues proved too large to overcome with starter Jalen Hurts sidelined for the second consecutive week — both Eagles losses.

Hurts has taken steps that signal his potential return for the regular-season finale against the Giants at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Regardless, Steichen is eating a majority of the blame from the team’s latest blunder.

“You go back and look at the film and really look at yourself, and I just didn’t think I did a good enough job putting our guys in position with the calls,” he said. “You get in some third-and-long situations that we weren’t able to overcome there in the first half. It was tough.

“I didn’t do a good enough job putting our guys in position — bottom line. I have to do a better job.”

Steichen continued: “I didn’t get into a rhythm calling the game early. think the only time we really had some rhythm was [coming] out in the third quarter. But we just didn’t get a first down. Once you get a first down, maybe you can get some momentum, but the three-and-outs killed us. Four in a row there. I haven’t been a part of that in a [long time], so we have to get back on the right track and take care of business this week.”

What lies ahead is uncertainty with the opposition. While the Eagles still are looking to lock up the NFC’s No. 1 seed and the NFC East title, the Giants (9-6-1) are cemented into the NFC’s No. 6 seed. No matter Sunday’s outcome between the two teams, the Giants cannot improve their playoff seeding. That puts all the pressure on the Eagles, who can secure a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a victory.

Giants coach Brian Daboll has mulled whether his starters will play in Week 18. Based on the team’s practice Thursday, it would indicate Daboll is leaning toward resting his starters. But Steichen and coach Nick Sirianni are taking a normal approach to the work week with an emphasis on prepping for the Giants’ first-team offense and defense.

During the first meeting involving the two teams on Dec. 11, the Eagles handily defeated the Giants, 48-22, at MetLife Stadium.

“We’re all preparing for the starters, no question about it,” Steichen said. “And then [we will] adjust off that. It’s an NFL game. No matter who they put out there, we have to go operate. I’ve been a part of games where you go in and some teams don’t play their guys, and some teams will walk in and are like, ‘Oh, we’re going to beat them because they’re not playing their starters.’ Then next thing you know, you lose. I’ve seen it happen before.

“Our mindset has got to be the same no matter who is on that field playing for them. We’re preparing for their starters, and we have to be locked in ready to go. Everything we do, we have to do with a sense of urgency and a sense of purpose this week.”

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According to several players, the level of urgency indeed was high throughout Thursday’s practice. Hurts was listed as a limited participant on the team’s injury report, although wide receiver A.J. Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert said Hurts “looked good” as he handled snaps with the first-team offense.

During the portion of practice open to reporters, Hurts partook in the ball-security drill, a session in which he and other offensive players were purposefully whacked by assistant coaches. It was Hurts’ first time joining his teammates for this drill since he injured his throwing shoulder on Dec. 18.

The Eagles have yet to declare a starting quarterback — Hurts or backup Gardner Minshew — for Sunday’s game. But the tone gathered from across the locker room indicates Hurts is on pace to make his return from his two-game absence for the high-stakes matchup.

“Jalen is a fierce competitor, one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met. Jalen is going to play his [type of] football,” Goedert said. “And if it’s needed, he’s going to do it really well because that’s just who he is. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win. Knowing that, you have a good feeling going into it. ... Really, it’s a dream come true. If at the beginning of the season they said, ‘Week 18, you’d be playing for the No. 1 seed and the division,’ I think everybody would have taken that.

“We’re right where we want to be. Everybody is really excited for the opportunity ahead of us. It’s on us to get back on track, and have a really good feeling going into the playoffs.”

Steichen concluded: “[Hurts] was good. He was locked in. If he is ready to play, he will play. We’ll go from there, but he looked good.”