If there is a team with no margin for error is the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite being the Super Bowl champions, this season has been filled with drama and it’s only Week 6. After the team’s second straight loss, this time against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football, running back Saquon Barkley revealed what the team is missing to get back on track.
Barkley ran for 58 yards on Thursday and this marks a six-week span where he hasn’t even rushed for 90 yards. Barkley is one of the most elite running backs of this era so he knows something is not right with the team.
“Last year, do you think we were predictable? Everybody knew we were running the ball,” Barkley said after the Giants game. “We still got it off. I also think we got to get back to the attitude, the mindset of, not really giving a f—k what people are trying to do. That’s something that I’m definitely looking for.”
Barkley is not the only star struggling
Yes, the Eagles are known for their great running game. However, they also have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. That unit is also suffering a down year. In fact, AJ Brown, has been more active on his social media sending cryptic messages to his team than in most games. He’s only gotten double-digit targets once this season.
Brown has only had one 100-yard game but he is not the only one in trouble here. DeVonta Smith is arguably the NFL’s best WR2, but just as Brown, he only has one double-digit target, 100-yard game. That is not good enough.
Sirianni must prove himself
It’s really weird to say that a head coach that has gone to two Super Bowls in the last three years, winning one of them in dominating fashion, needs to prove himself, but here we are. Sirianni’s successful era in Philly has also been filled with locker room drama. Not only that, but he is facing accusations of being very coordinator-dependent.
The two seasons were the Eagles have gone to the Super Bowl, they’ve had incredible coordinators. This time, they lost former OC Kellen Moore to the Saints as he became the head coach in New Orleans. Kevin Patullo, who is the new OC, hasn’t been able to make this a cohesive unit, and Sirianni as head coach hasn’t been able to get the troops going.