Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has always tested the elements of risk, but it has been on shaky ground of late.
The Eagles are off to an 8-3 start and are in first place in the NFC East. They are currently one game back of the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFC.
Philly's record shows the franchise's success, but any fan who has been watching them knows that's not the case. After winning a Super Bowl a year ago, the team is facing issues with the offense, the coaching staff, and penalties.
Ultimately, this falls on the head coach, but there are other issues with Sirianni that, if he isn't careful, could cost the Eagles a playoff spot.
Sirianni's decision-making has been hurting this team more than helping
What made the early years great with Sirianni was that he took calculated risks in the Eagles' favor. Going for it on fourth down, going for two points, or any aggressive call he made seemed to hit differently than it has this season.
A prime example occurred during the Week 12 Dallas Cowboys game, when Sirianni decided to take a 56-yard field goal rather than going for it on fourth-and-five inside the 40-yard line. Knowing that Jake Elliott has struggled from 50+ yards the last two years, he sent Elliott out there, and it ended up being a miss, and the Cowboys tied the game with a touchdown three plays later.
Let's take it back to the Week 10 Green Bay Packers game at the end when the Eagles had a fourth-and-six at the Packers' 36-yard line with 33 seconds left. Instead of trying to punt the ball and pin them into the 10-yard line, Jalen Hurts throws a deep ball to A.J. Brown, which is incomplete. Green Bay got some yards and had a shot at a 64-yard field goal that thankfully went wide.
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These are the type of decisions that can bury the Eagles in games if Sirianni keeps it up. Situation awareness is a part of Sirianni's game that must improve, or Philly won't have a shot at repeating as Super Bowl champions.