Bill Belichick flames Eagles following disappointing season start: "It's a stretch calling them one of the best"
The Philadelphia Eagles lost 33-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. This was Philadelphia's second loss of the season and eighth in their last 11 games dating back to last season.
They now have a bye week, and it will be important for head coach Nick Sirianni to figure things out, or he might become the first head coach to lose his job this season. Bill Belichick, a potential candidate for the Eagles head coach position, recently talked about the team on the Pat McAfee Show.
Belichick mentioned that due to their lackluster form, the Eagles are not one of the best teams in the NFL. He also added that the team does have a great group of players who can turn things around after the bye week. He brought up the fact that the Eagles will likely have A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and Lane Johnson back healthy by the time they play their next game. Belichick said:
"I think the bye week probably is a good time for these guys. Philly, maybe have a chance to get these receivers back and kind of and Lane Johnson, and get some of their key players back on offense, but it's a challenge. They've lost 10 of the last 13 games.
"So, when you sit there and say, well, they're one of the best teams in the league, I don't know, being 3-10, that's kind of a stretch if you look at what's happened recently."
A 2-2 start to the season is not ideal for the Eagles, but it is not the end of the world. They are still the favorites to win the NFC East, and given the personnel on their team, they are more than capable of going on a winning streak after their bye week.
Jalen Hurts and Eagles have favorable fixtures ahead
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has not played poorly, but the turnovers are killing the team. So far this season, he has thrown four interceptions and also fumbled the ball five times. However, he has the opportunity to get back in form after the bye week, as the team has some favorable fixtures.
Eagles next seven games are against these teams:
- Week 6: vs Cleveland Browns
- Week 7: @ New York Giants
- Week 8: @ Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 9: vs Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 10: @ Dallas Cowboys
- Week 11: vs Washington Commanders
All these teams, apart from the Washington Commanders, have not had an ideal start to the season. If the Eagles are healthy, they can win five of their next six games, including a win against the Cowboys, who themselves have not played well so far.
However, for that to happen, they have to work on a lot of things. Most importantly, coach Sirianni and Hurts have to be at their best or the franchise will have to make some tough decisions.
Since signing the five-year $255 million contract extension, Hurts has not played like he did before signing the deal. Although the team is unlikely to move from him, there is a lot of pressure on him to play like he did in 2022.
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