Do the Eagles have an effort problem? Nick Sirianni doesn’t think so
The Eagles have lost five straight and looked listless on defense against the Cowboys. Sirianni said the outcome wasn't about effort.
The Eagles have lost five games in a row for the first time since 2016. In their latest dud vs. the rival Cowboys on Monday night, the team failed to record a single tackle for loss or quarterback hit.
These realities raise an obvious question: Do the Eagles have an effort problem?
Coach Nick Sirianni offered an emphatic “no” when asked the question at his Wednesday afternoon news conference.
“I did not see an effort issue on Monday night,” Sirianni said. “Obviously, it was other things, which I’m sure you guys will ask me about. There were other things. But effort in no way, shape or form was an issue there.
“Now, do you bat 100% on effort? No, you don’t play a perfect football game. So any time there is an effort standout in a positive way, we show it to the team, we show what the standard is. And anytime there is one that we feel there was a loaf, we point that out and show that to the team …
“I didn’t look at the tape and say, ‘Hey, this was an effort issue and this is why this play happened or that play happened.’ That’s how I graded the film.”
This is the longest losing streak in the Sirianni era. The Eagles’ overall record this season is 2-5 — which puts them in third place in the NFC East. They have a crucial matchup against the last-place Commanders (1-4-1) Sunday night, then a duel with the first-place Giants (4-2-1) before the bye week.
While Sirianni didn’t agree with the assessment that his club lacks effort — in fact, he and the staff grade each player on effort after every game and practice — he did understand why those on the outside would question the team right now.
» READ MORE: What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 8 vs. the Commanders
“I get it. I would understand, hey, everyone is looking for answers,” he said. “I don’t give a lot of answers up here. I get that, I understand that. I do respect the job that you guys have to do. But you know I’m always probably going to keep it tight to the vest.
“But, again, it’s not about the outcome. It is: We’re outcome-aware. But it is about the process that goes through it, what happens Monday through Saturday. What happens Monday through Saturday is usually what happens in the game, in my experience. That’s why you need a great week of preparation.”
Sirianni answers Foles
Earlier on Wednesday, Sirianni joined 94 WIP and was asked to respond to Tuesday’s comments from team legend Nick Foles on The SZN with Nick Foles & Evan Moore and NBC Sports Philadelphia. The Eagles Super Bowl-winning quarterback said “there is dysfunction in Philly” and “something is changing” in terms of the quality of the team’s culture.
“[This is] the second season in a row where, as a team this is just not with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Nick Sirianni is feeling it,” Foles said. “You can see it. I looked at him on the sidelines, and I looked at his eyes.”
» READ MORE: Nick Foles says ‘culture things’ are hurting the Eagles; Nick Sirianni wants his team to ignore ‘that crap’
Sirianni addressed those comments in his weekly 94 WIP appearance.
“I think when you drop five in a row, everyone is looking for answers,” Sirianni said. “Nick Foles isn’t in the building with us. I can only go off of what my relationships are in here — you know, there’s always going to be a report of this or that. Our job is to not get wrapped up in any of that crap. Our job is to stay locked in within our organization and go through it that way.”
How were we so wrong? Heading into the season, the Eagles’ defense was supposed to be their strength. After Monday’s throttling by the Cowboys, the group reached a new low, especially on the defensive line, where major offseason investments and commitments were made. Why has a unit that showed promise in training camp failed to live up to expectations? And how will the Eagles’ five-game losing streak influence the organization’s approach to the NFL’s impending trade deadline? The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and David Murphy tackle these topics and more the day after the Eagles’ 38-21 defeat to Dallas. Listen here.
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