Nick Sirianni’s flat Eagles ignored A.J. Brown and looked terrible behind Jalen Hurts in a trap-game win. The locker room seethed.

The only thing missing was Nick Sirianni taunting the home fans.

It felt like Cleveland all over again. An inferior opponent entered with a toothless team on a great day for football, and the Eagles declined to show up. Only a bobbled would-be touchdown catch by Xavier Legette with 44 seconds to play saved a likely upset from happening. They were 13-point home favorites, but if there was skin on their teeth before the game it’s not there any longer, because that’s how they beat Carolina, 22-16.

As a refresher: Coming off a bye week for Game 5, Sirianni was booed at Lincoln Financial Field against the Browns — also a win — and taunted the fans. The team played poorly, and won barely, and the locker room was fuming. And so it was again Sunday, as the Eagles took the Panthers lightly with the Pittsburgh Steelers looming next week.

Generational receiver A.J. Brown finished with four catches, one below his unacceptable average during the nine-game winning streak. He threw a sideline mini-fit. His frustrations seem to stem from Jalen Hurts’ general mediocrity.

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley makes history as Eagles hold on for an ugly 22-16 win over Panthers

Asked afterward what the team’s offense needed to improve on, he replied, “Passing.”

Asked if it is hard to get into a rhythm when the team is averaging just 21 passes per game — Sunday hit the average — Brown replied, “Incredibly so.”

Asked why he threw his helmet after a second-quarter three-and-out, he replied, “Three-and-out.”

When DeVonta Smith was asked how the offense performed, Brown glanced over from his locker and smiled at the questioner. Smith replied: “I think we can do a lot better.”

Hurts hears his receivers.

“Everybody has a reason to want more,” he said. He said the passing offense needs better “synchronization,” but when asked if a veteran team should be seeking synchronization in Game 13, he said, tersely, “No.”

But a win’s a win, right?

Hardly. The locker room seethed.

Star defensive tackle Jalen Carter refused to speak after the game. Most of the players who did were “unsatisfied,” to borrow the word Hurts coined.

“We didn’t do what we expected to do against this team,” said defensive tackle Milton Williams.

His coach understands. Sirianni said he told his players after the game, “Don’t be a prisoner to your expectations.”

But they are. And they should be. The Eagles committed $171 million to Brown and Smith this offseason. They need to eat. It’s the job of Sirianni and Hurts to feed them.

At any rate, at least Sirianni didn’t get booed Sunday like he did when he beat the Browns. Maybe the good tidings of the holiday season dulled Philly’s normally vicious crowd.

Just kidding, Santa.

On what should have been a celebration of the best season any back has had in Philly, the game was awash in indifferent play. On what should have been a fourth quarter of rest and relaxation for the main starters on each side of the ball, the Eagles needed a 70-yard touchdown drive to take a 22-16 lead. That drive survived only because quarterback Hurts busted a 35-yard scramble on third-and-10 from the Panthers’ 44.

The Panthers have the third-worst offense and the second-worst defense and are the first-worst team in the NFL, but the Eagles played like Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes were on the other sideline instead of Dave Canales and Bryce Young.

» READ MORE: Nick Sirianni: Jalen Hurts isn’t just a ‘game manager.’ He’s an MVP candidate.

It was officially Saquon Barkley Day, and he gained 124 rushing yards on 20 carries. He broke LeSean McCoy’s single-season team rushing record of 1,607 yards. McCoy needed 16 games; Barkley stands at 1,623 yards through 13 games, with Eric Dickerson’s NFL record of 2,105, set in 1984, in his sights.

Still, there was less electricity at the Linc than in the state of Texas during a mild windstorm.

Somehow, in the first 45 offensive plays, Brown, the best receiver in franchise history, was targeted twice.

Somehow, Hurts had just 108 passing yards for the game.

Somehow, the Panthers converted six of their first 12 third downs.

There were big plays, mostly on defense.

Carter played like a monster again. Twice-injured safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson twice rebounded in a fine outing; he intercepted Young near the end of the first half to set up a drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Hurts to DeVonta Smith, who was fully healthy for the first time since injuring his hamstring a month ago.

Darius Slay knocked down two fourth-down pass attempts that twice regained possession for the Eagles.

It never should have come to that.

Brown should have been a workhorse. He had two important catches late in the fourth quarter during a fruitless drive, but he was open all afternoon. As usual.

Hurts wasn’t horrible, but, at $255 million, he should have been better. He didn’t turn the ball over, and has done so only twice during the nine-game winning streak, but he was gun-shy early, threw late most of the day, and was far too conservative all game. It has been a pattern for Hurts.

It is one that cannot continue if the Eagles hope to beat teams like the Steelers next week and if they hope to advance in the playoffs next month against the league’s best teams.

Because they nearly lost on Sunday to the worst team in football. If the ball doesn’t touch the turf with 44 seconds to play ...

“Thank God,” Williams said, “that he dropped it.”