The Philadelphia Eagles and head coach Nick Sirianni entered the 2024 season under considerable pressure. Philly has managed to win two of its first three games this year, but the close call against the New Orleans Saints this past Sunday and the late game collapse in Week 2 have failed to silence some of Sirianni’s critics.
Former Eagles defensive lineman Chris Long is one of those critics who has expressed doubt about Sirianni’s decision-making process during critical portions of an NFL game.
During a recent appearance on the Scoop City podcast, Long referenced Sirianni’s previous choices in fourth down situations during recent games against the Falcons and Saints.
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Sep 6, 2024; Sao Paulo, BRA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni during the first half against the Green Bay Packers at Neo Quimica Arena. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
“My point is we are all of a sudden above taking three points in games that are going to be defensive battles,” Long said.
“They’re going to be about possessions and I just thought in those situations it was a better time early in the Atlanta game and early in the New Orleans game to take points.”
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Long added that while he does have an appreciation for Sirianni, he questions whether the head coach always has a good grasp of the “flow of the game.”
“I like Nick. I think Nick has done a good job. No, really I do. Right now, he’s kinda under a microscope because of the decisions he’s making. He’s not even calling the game. So that’s my thing. You got to own the feeling of the flow of the game.”
Sep 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni reacts during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
Getting a 15-12 victory over the Saints on the road, despite a few in-game miscues, likely prevented some of the noise surrounding Sirianni from growing louder.
Long also pointed out that the group of players Sirianni is coaching now is much different than what he coached in the 2022 season when the Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl.
“I’d give him a mirror, look in it, this is not the same team, certainly it wasn’t yesterday, that went to the Super Bowl two years ago, where you’re going to score 40 points a game,” Long said. “You have to sometimes lay up. And when you’ve got Saquon Barkley, sometimes you have to give him the damn ball, any three-yard gain can turn into 70.”
Dec 9, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long (56) on the sidelines during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. (Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
While Sirianni helped lead Philly to the NFC title and an appearance in Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles collapsed down the stretch last season, dropping five of their last six games. The Eagles proceeded to suffer a blowout loss in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The Eagles brass decided to retain Sirianni, but moved on from the offensive and defensive coordinators.
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The Eagles will look to stay on the winning track when they travel to Florida for a matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 29.
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