In Philadelphia on Sunday, one thing’s gotta give.
The Raiders have misplaced seven video games in a row, one thing coach Pete Carroll has by no means beforehand skilled in any of his 28 years as a head coach. And the Eagles have misplaced three straight; coach Nick Sirianni has by no means misplaced 4 in a row.
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The Eagles’ current stumbles have dredged up reminiscences of solely two years in the past, when a 10-1 begin melted right into a 1-6 end that was capped by an unpleasant 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers within the wild-card spherical of the playoffs.
After Monday evening’s loss to the Chargers, varied members of the group insisted it’s not 2023 all over again. Including the person who indicators everybody’s verify.
“Nothing like it,” proprietor Jeffrey Lurie informed Michael Silver of TheAthletic.com. “Absolute opposite. We have a Super Bowl defense and great special teams. Our offense will get it going. I’m not worried at all.”
It looks like a stretch to be not apprehensive at all. Given the present slide — and contemplating that it’s taking place in December — there’s purpose for no less than some miild concern. Jeffrey?
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“I have zero concern,” Lurie informed Silver. “We had a lot of turnovers, but some of them were flukes.”
Lurie additionally regarded the interception that ended the Week 14 sport to be an aberration. Possibly unprecedented in additional than three a long time of his possession of the franchise.
“In 32 years, I don’t think we’ve ever lost a game we were about to win, like on a missed field goal or a last-second catch or something like that,” Lurie informed Silver. “[Brian] Dawkins would get a pick in the end zone, or something would happen and we’d pull it out. Maybe I’m not remembering something, but I don’t think it’s ever happened. I expected us to do it again. We were just a couple of plays away.”
It did certainly really feel like a win was inevitable, particularly after quarterback Jalen Hurts related with receiver Devonta Smith on a third-and-16 play in time beyond regulation that resulted in a 28-yard achieve. The momentum was squarely in Philly’s favor. Until it all of a sudden wasn’t.
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And whereas Lurie can brush it off as a once-in-many-blue-moons curiosity, it occurred. The undeniable fact that it occurred fairly ought to spark no less than some concern that one thing is off this 12 months.
Is it 2023? Maybe not. But if feels much more just like the season that ended with a thud than 2024, which ended with a hoop.
Although a win over the woeful Raiders will not assure a February journey to Santa Clara, a loss to arguably the worst group within the NFL — led on Sunday by Eagles 2024 backup quarterback Kenny Pickett — would additionally immediate Lurie to scan and re-scan his reminiscence financial institution for the same end result throughout his many seasons of operating the group.