Sirianni, Eagles facing key stretch

PHILADELPHIA — The New York Jets‘ firing of coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday served as a reminder that in the NFL, short fuses are often attached to high expectations.

The Jets (2-3) are within striking distance of the Bills (3-2) in the division. Yet team owner Woody Johnson felt he had a roster that can win big and didn’t want to risk waiting too long before the season slipped away, so he acted boldly.

While there are similarities between the Jets and Eagles when it comes to results versus expectations so far this season, Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie is not Johnson and coach Nick Sirianni is not Saleh. The difference in records during their respective coaching tenures (36-19 for Sirianni versus 20-36 for Saleh) is reason enough to think Sirianni, who has guided Philadelphia to three playoff appearances in as many years, will be given more leeway to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of a season.

But the upcoming four-game stretch against the Cleveland Browns (1-4), New York Giants (2-3), Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) and Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) will be key in order to stabilize the ground under Sirianni and change the narrative of the 2024 season.

Of the seven head coaches hired during the 2021 cycle, only Sirianni and Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions remain now that Saleh’s out.

“No,” Sirianni responded, when asked if Saleh’s firing makes him think about his coaching mortality. “Obviously wish him nothing but the best. I had a good working relationship with Coach Saleh, but my mind is only set on how do we get better.

“I know you can probably say, ‘That’s coachtalk.’ I’m not bulls—ting you. That’s how I live, that’s how I’ve operated.”

The Eagles are 2-2, reflective of a team that has been perfectly average, in sum. Running back Saquon Barkley (520 total yards, five touchdowns) has been exceptional and the offense has shown its potential in spurts but Jalen Hurts‘ seven turnovers and some questionable decisions by the coaching staff in high leverage situations has held the unit back. The defense has had some clutch moments but overall has been a liability. The Eagles rank 28^th against the run (5.0 yards/rush), are tied for 30^th in opponent yards per play (6.0) and are 26^th in defensive efficiency (39.02).

The positive spin is that their first four games came against solid opponents in the Green Bay Packers (3-2), Atlanta Falcons (3-2), New Orleans Saints (2-3) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2), three of which were on the road. They were playing without star receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) for three of those contests and also dealt with injuries to DeVonta Smith and Lane Johnson, who missed their Week 4 loss to the Bucs with concussions. There is hope that all will be back this week against the Browns (1 p.m. ET, Fox).

And it was fair to expect some bumps early in the year as both sides of the ball adapted to new coordinators Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio. Things should run more smoothly from here, in theory.

The less optimistic view is that something with the Eagles is fundamentally broken. They have lost eight of their past 11 games dating to last season. Their 21.5 points per game average this year is just a point higher than the average over their last six regular-season games in 2023 when they collapsed. Hurts now has 27 turnovers since the start of last season, which leads all players. The defense remains unreliable and out of sync.

A home loss against Deshaun Watson and the anemic Browns would put the city on high alert. If the Eagles go .500 or worse during this four-game stretch, the pressure around this team would skyrocket just as the schedule intensifies — they play the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens over a four-week stretch starting in early November. Calls for Sirianni’s job, currently at a murmur, would build toward a roar.

On the other hand, if a now-healthy Eagles squad bulldozes the Browns and sweeps this four-game stretch or goes 3-1, the city’s gaze would move away from the sky (in fear of falling objects) and toward the standings, where their team would be near the top of the NFC. Pro-Sirianni arguments would gain momentum as he charges toward yet another postseason appearance.

Both outcomes are completely within the realm of possibility. The next four weeks will tell us plenty about the staying power of the Sirianni-led Eagles.