What many fans took issue with, though, was how soon after the game the retweet came. The assumption was that the team would discuss what went wrong in post-game meetings, not take to social media to air their grievances about the officiating. After all, the Eagles came into the game with a league-best record of 10-2 and now sit tied with the Cowboys at 10-3. Now, even winning the NFC East division is in question. There was much at stake.

Earlier in the season, running back Kenny Gainwell was even publicly reprimanded in a postgame press conference for a similar offense. Head coach Nick Sirianni called out the third-year running back for a direct message sent at halftime.

When asked about that occurrence, Sirianni said, “These guys have some time away from us when we get into the locker room where they sit down at their locker. They do whatever is going to take their mind and just calm it. This is part of these guys’ lives.”

He then goes on to say, “And so, yes, of course we talked to him about that, to be locked in and focused and not worried about outside noise. He knows he made a mistake responding back to that person.”

The Way the Eagles Have Been Beaten Is Fueling Fans’ Emotions

Aside from the fact that the league can now fine players for going to social media during games, Eagles fans’ emotions were also likely stirred by the fashion in which their team was beaten. The Cowboys were able to dissect an old and ailing defense to the tune of 13-33. This came just one week after another terrible loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which ended with a 42-19 score.

Crossing Broad, a self-proclaimed irreverent sports blog covering Philadelphia sports, got almost 55 thousand views as of noon December 11th on their tweet about Slay’s postgame hijinks. One of their contributors, Kyle Pagan, even posted a blog featuring the retweet. In Pagan’s post, he writes passionately, “The #1 seed and the division lead is gone. Can we let the wounds heal a little before we’re going to our phone to search our name and retweet your PI?”

The Past Two Games Have Exposed the Eagles’ Weaknesses On Both Sides of the Ball

In this two-week run, the Eagles’ offense hasn’t been able to muster enough points to win, and their secondary, especially, has been exposed. This is leading fans to worry that their team might be imploding as they head into the last stretch of the season. There’s a concern that the Eagles aren’t good enough to beat the best teams, and then there’s a general concern that age and injuries are catching up with an older defense late in the year.

With linebacker Nakobe Dean sent to IR in Week 9 and fellow linebacker Zach Cunningham missing time with a hamstring injury in Week 13, the Eagles’ defensive play has suffered. Philadelphia did make the big signing of pro-bowl linebacker Shaq Leonard this week. Though appearing on the injury report and missing practice earlier in the week, Slay and Cunningham both were able to get on the field in this one. Watching the game, though, this team isn’t hitting on all cylinders like they did earlier in the year.

Coach Sirianni and his staff will have to get their birds turned around as they enter Week 15, where they face the Seattle Seahawks in a Monday Night Football matchup. This one should offer the Eagles a chance to get back on track as the 6-7 Seahawks have struggled with some key injuries of their own, namely a lingering groin injury to starting quarterback Geno Smith.