Week 4's loss was sickening. Things were so bad that there's a part of our being that doesn't want to talk about this one, but that's the job. The Philadelphia Eagles' loss to the Tampa bay Buccaneers has given us plenty to discuss.
The game-time temperature exceeded 100 degrees. Philly was down three starters on the offensive side of the ball alone (and one was playing with a cast on his hand). That's still no excuse for the lousy and pathetic effort that we saw from this team in Week 4 on Sunday.
Philly walked into Raymond James Stadium and offered one of the most pathetic efforts we have seen from this team during the Nick Sirianni era, and that's saying something because there have been a few. See last January's playoff game for evidence.
No one player wins or loses any football game. Still, the guys on this list have to shoulder most of the blame for what was an unforgivable loss this past Sunday.
Jalen Hurts, QB1
Did you see that first pass to Saquon Barkley on the first drive? Saquon was wide open. He would have scored a touchdown. Jalen sailed the ball out of bounds.
The sideline angle of the #Eagles first play won't make you feel any better. TB blankets the initial route combo, but the ensuing scramble drill led to Saquon Barkley getting free downfield.
β EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) September 30, 2024
It'd be a tough throw on the run for Jalen Hurts, but a huge missed opportunity still. pic.twitter.com/OaoEdXtLJk
QB1 bailed Tampa out on that one. As awful as that was, the fumble was worse.
Message to Hurts. If you sidestep a defender attempting to sack you, he's probably still somewhere in your vicinity.
Lavonte David STRIP SACK.
β NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024
πΊ: #PHIvsTB on FOX
π±: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/NeEZn1ld6z
Lavonte David got blocked past Jalen Hurts but cut back to force a fumble that ends what was looking like a scoring drive.
β Josh Hill (@jdavhill) September 29, 2024
HALL OF FAMER!!! pic.twitter.com/3ZWttF2hDm
Dare we say it? That looked like Carson Wentz's level of pocket awareness.
Philly can do a lot worse than Jalen Hurts as a starter, and if he cleans a few things up, Philly can roll. However, he has gotten awful at RPO reads. He's reckless with the football, and there's seemingly no signs that he's improving.
Fred Johnson, right tackle
Fred Johnson has some ability, but he was awful in Week 4. Pro Football Focus gives him a pass-blocking grade of 37.3 and an overall grade of 53.0 for his performance versus the Bucs.
Per Pro Football Focus, he played 38 snaps in pass protection versus Tampa. He allowed 11 pressures during the game. That falls on his shoulders. He was awful. Lane Johnson can't get back fast enough.
Nick Sirianni, head coach
As frustrated as we are with Nick Sirianni, we can't express that frustration as eloquently as Jon Ritchie did on Monday morning.
"I am fatigued by this team, by this coach, by this quarterback. My patience is nearly gone... The coaching, you failed us. Nick, you were awful. We were nowhere close to ready. Our team was soft. He should not be the head coach of a team vying for a title."
That says everything. What more might we add to drive the point home?
Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator
After a masterclass in Week 3, Vic Fangio's unit stunk the joint up in Week 4 as they had done in Week 1 and Week 2. There's really no nice way to say this. Week 3 may have been a lucky punch. It feels like the more accurate representation of this team might be closer to what we saw during the other three games.
Isaiah Rodgers, cornerback
Isaiah Rodgers showed maximum effort during Philly's blocked extra-point attempt that was returned for two points. He blocked the field goal attempt. Kelee Ringo took care of the rest, but what the heck was he thinking about on the punt return when he shoved a Buccaneers player into Cooper DeJean during that first punt return? What was Kelee thinking about when he nearly took Coop out later in the game?
Iβm convinced that Isaiah Rodgers and Kelee Ringo just really donβt want Cooper DeJean to take their spots on defense. pic.twitter.com/XjqhN70Ui9
β Philly Dawgs (@PHLDawgs) September 29, 2024
Well, it appears we don't have to ask. Apparently, he thought shoving someone into a teammate would draw a flag, but at what cost? Did we think it was a good idea to potentially injure a teammate?
"I never heard that before"
β NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 29, 2024
Isaiah Rodgers explains his thought process on the block that led to a muffed punt in an apparent mix up of the rules during the Eagles' loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4 | @Lundy_Law pic.twitter.com/kUxNfV3f4U
Maybe Philly Dawgs is right. Maybe Rodgers and Kelee are threatened by Cooper DeJean, and they're exhausting every measure to take him out. We're about 90% convinced that's an incorrect theory, but right now, it's also the only one that makes any sense.
Howie Roseman, general manager
Howie Roseman deserves a ton of credit for the job he does. He is without question the top general manager in the game, but these losses have to also fall on his shoulders.
He'd rather work with a coach he can control than one he can't. He's responsible for Nick Sirainni being in Philly and all of these bad roster moves.
Letting Haason Reddick walk... Drafting Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith... Signing Bryce Huff and Devin White... Those are Howie's decisions, and he must be held accountable when they don't work out.