3 overreactions to the Eagles' roller-coaster start (and 3 legitimate concerns)

It's October. What is going on? Our stress levels are through the roof. The Philadelphia Eagles have tested every emotion, and at the rate that this is going, we're never going to make it to November.

Philly flew to Brazil for the opener. They eked out a win over the Green Bay Packers. That was okay. We expected the Cheeseheads would provide a test, but everything we have seen from the Birds in the three games that followed left us pondering what we believe are healthy concerns.

The first three quarters of that exciting win in New Orleans were troubling, but the right team won. We exhaled. 'A win is a win', right?

Unfortunately, that fourth quarter performance feels like an anomaly. It feels like the offensive droughts and red -zone inefficiency are more of a representation of who this team is.

Concern is a good thing when harnessed correctly. It means we care and won't settle, but when it ventures over into panic, sometimes, we must reel it in.

Don't worry friends. You're all going to feel better after this (we hope). Here are three justifiable reasons to temper your expectations and three more for you to relax.

Concerning: Jalen Hurts has been a turnover machine.

Jalen Hurts has shown he can play at an MVP level. He has the tools to be a franchise signal-caller. The Eagles can do a lot worse than Jalen Hurts.

While all of that is true, we'd also be accurate in stating he misses too many reads and has gotten awful at running the read-pass option.

The most concerning thing about Jalen's game is the turnovers. We're a long way from that training camp streak. He's loose with the football. Quite frankly, things aren't getting better.

He's saying the right things. "I've got to be better". So on and so forth, but at this point, saying the words isn't enough. We need to see more.

Concerning: Nick Sirianni isn't an X's and O's coach, but he thinks he is.

We aren't going to spend a ton of time on this one. We have discussed the 'CEO head coach' thing and his hot seat in great detail and need to add nothing further to the conversation... except for this next statement.

Nick Sirianni's in-game decision-making has been so bad that he has already cost his team a win and could have cost them another. We can't allow him to do that in during a playoff push or playoff game.

Concerning: The NFL has caught up to Vic Fangio.

Vic Fangio's defense once seemed impenetrable. Then, most defensive coordinators followed suit, taking his scheme and concocting their own versions. Heck, Philly run this under Jonathan Gannon?

Whether we're discussing football or any other life principle, this next statement is an accurate one. If anyone is tested by something long enough, eventually they'll learn how to pass.

Fangio's scheme needs some new tweaks, or it must be abandoned. No one has any fear of him or his game-planning.

Overreaction: This team isn't going to finish barely above .500.

So, we decided to end this on a high note, and here's where we'll begin. This team isn't as bad as they're being labeled. They aren't finishing barely above .500.

They have some winnable games on the slate. That's where they'll make up ground. Once they're healthy, they may even rattle off a win streak.

The NFL prides itself on parity, a goal they have achieved. Truly any team can beat another on any NFL game day.

Look around the league. There are a lot of good teams with two losses. Don't panic. The regular season is a marathon, not a sprint.

Overreaction (maybe): The loss in Tampa Bay proved this team is going nowhere in the postseason.

Playing short-handed in Tampa in that weather was a tough draw. Things will improve. Guys will get healthy, and that will help steady the ship (we hope).

It's hard to win in the NFL versus good teams. It's hard to beat anyone without your top two wide receivers and your best offensive lineman. It's hard to outsmart Todd Bowles.

It's almost impossible to do anything when the temperature eclipses 100 degrees. Now, add jet lag and a football game to the itinerary.

Now, the margin of victory was inexcusable. It's almost unforgivable that Nick Sirianni didn't have his team ready to play. This was certainly a bad loss, but even though it stings, the reason for its occurrence can be explained.

Overreaction: Darius Slay doesn't care about this team anymore.

There are times when it seems as though Darius Slay's inner-thermometer doesn't work. He only wants to be praised. He seems offended by criticism, but we can live with that. We like our corners to be a tad arrogant.

Here's the thing. Swagger must be backed up by action, and Slay's play, though solid more often than not, doesn't always warrant the high price tag he's earning.

Tweeting your resume after a bad loss was a bad look. The post has since been deleted, butappearing on a Dallas Cowboy star's podcast will certainly drop any Eagles' approval rating. Sure, he has since apologized (sort of). Some haven't accepted, but the sentiment that 'he doesn't care' is inaccurate.

He's a good teammate who always tries to help his teammates improve. Slay had better start making some big plays though. He hasn't intercepted a pass since the Eagles debuted the Kelly Green jerseys versus the Miami Dolphins in Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season.

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