After the 2023 finish, there are 8 burning questions about the Eagles that need answers.
Throughout the decade, the Philadelphia Eagles have had their fair share of football disappointments. There have been times when the team was uncompetitive and was the laughingstock of the league. With head coaches who struggled and quarterbacks who couldn’t find their groove, the Eagles have seen their share of struggles. They have suffered playoff losses, been defeated by fog, and felt the sting of questionable officials’ calls. But never before have they experienced anything like the 2023 Eagles.
20 players will become free agents in March.
To start the season with a 10-1 record after going to the Super Bowl the previous year, only to finish with a -18 point differential and a humiliating 32-9 loss to Baker Mayfield and the Bucs, is an unmitigated disaster. Their collapse in the final seven weeks of the season saw them finish with a -82 point differential and transformed them from Super Bowl contenders to the worst team in the NFL.
With a collapse of this magnitude, there are many unanswered questions. Many are wondering why the veteran leadership failed to heal the rifts in the locker room. The Eagles were known for their well-built culture and tightly-knit locker room, but that all seems to have fallen apart. Despite the encouragement from leaders like Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox, the locker room became too fractured for any amount of veteran leadership to repair.
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Another question that remains unanswered is whether head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson are competent. Their failure to adjust to opposing defenses, particularly when facing blitzes, has raised concerns about their competence. In last night’s game, the Buccaneers generated the most unblocked pressures by any defense this season, and it’s unclear why Sirianni and Johnson were unable to adjust their game plan.
There are also questions about whether Sirianni has lost the locker room. Troy Aikman suggested that the Eagles came into the playoff game as a defeated team, and Jalen Hurts’ non-committal comments about Sirianni’s future raise questions about the head coach’s effectiveness.
The decline in Jalen Hurts’ running ability is also a concern, as it was a key part of the Eagles’ success on offense in the previous season. The lack of explosiveness and agility in his running game has raised questions about whether this aspect of his game is gone for good.
Finally, there are concerns about Hurts’ personality and leadership style. Some insiders have expressed worries about his stoic demeanor during tough times, which has raised questions about his ability to lead the team effectively.
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With so many unanswered questions surrounding the Eagles’ collapse in the 2023 season, there are concerns about the team’s future. It’s clear that changes need to be made in order to avoid wasting the prime years of key players on the team. As the Eagles look towards the future, they will need to address these unanswered questions and make the necessary adjustments to get the team back on track.
