Ex-NFL quarterback breaks down reasons behind Nick Sirianni’s Eagles’ recent defensive struggles
The Philadelphia Eagles and Nick Sirianni are in freefall right now as they see their season slowly slip away. After being 10-1 after the overtime win against the Buffalo Bills, the Eagles seemed locked into the No. 1 seed in the NFC and looked like the NFC East was theirs.
Well, things have changed fast for Philadelphia and Nick Sirianni, as the Eagles have now lost four out of their last five games and handed the ascendancy to the Dallas Cowboys.
A big reason for the Eagles' struggles has been their defense over the last month, as they have given up over 350 total yards in four of their previous six games, and ESPN's Dan Orlovsky has some interesting points on why they are struggling.
Orlovsky points finger at Nick Sirianni's Eagles defense after Cardinals loss
The Eagles' defense against the Arizona Cardinals was again shown up, particularly in the run game, as the Cardinals rushing attack, led by James Connor, gashed them on the ground.
Connor rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, while Michael Carter had 61 yards on seven carries as there was no answer from the Eagles regarding stopping them.
Orlovsky states in the video above that the Eagles' defensive line was getting pushed around far too easily by the Arizona offensive line and that it will be a hard task to fix their defensive issues so late in the season.
Can Nick Sirianni and the Eagles turn things around?
Of course, they can, but due to their recent struggles, after looking like being at home for the playoffs, if Dallas beats the Washington Commanders, it will secure the NFC East crown and a home playoff game.
Due to that, Nick Sirianni and the Eagles will be on the road for the entirety of the playoffs, and as it stands, they will be facing Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first week.
The Eagles currently have the 29th-ranked defense for points allowed per game (25.1), and facing Mayfield with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and running back Rachaad White will be anything but easy.
The Eagles are in trouble and will take on the New York Giants on the road to finish the regular season. They will need a win to get some confidence heading into the postseason, and it will start with a much better defensive performance than the one put on tape against Arizona.