Philadelphia city officials won’t be greasing any poles this season.
The Eagles’ quest to become the first NFC team to win back-to-back Super Bowls in over 30 years came to a shocking end last Sunday in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The offensive inconsistency that plagued the team all season showed up again in a 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Birds mustered just six points in the second half against an injury-depleted 49ers defense that was missing star edge rusher Joey Bosa, All Pro linebacker Fred Warner and other key players.
It continued a trend that has followed them throughout the season. It marked the sixth time this season they failed to score a touchdown in the second half.
“It’s been a common theme for us this year,” Eagles running back Saquon Barkley said. “We didn’t do a good enough job of playing complete football, of putting two complete halves together. It’s been the same thing all year and it caught up to us.”
Fans were quick to blame first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, whose conservative game plans were devoid of the type of explosive plays and creativity that were a trademark of last season’s Super Bowl.
That was the formula that enabled the Niners to pull off the upset. Quarterback Brock Purdy hit wide receiver Demarcus Robinson for a 61-yard gain on the first series to set up their first touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, in a play conjured memories of “Philly Special,” Purdy flipped the ball to wide receiver Skyy Moore, who lateraled to wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Jennings then hit running back Christian McCaffrey for a 29-yard TD.
“We call it, ‘Sky Bang Reverse Pass,’” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “(Niners offensive coordinator) Klay (Kubiak) suggested it and it was a hell of a play.”
Now the Niners are flying sky-high while the Eagles are left to clean out their lockers and ponder what went wrong.
There are some tough decisions ahead, starting with the coaching staff. Patullo’s seat is hotter than Phoenix is August, but there are also some embers under coach Nick Sirianni’s chair. He is the one who is ultimately responsible for the team’s failure to meet expectations.
A number of key players are about to become unrestricted free agents, including tight end Dallas Goedert and linebacker Nakobe Dean.
And then there’s wide receiver A.J. Brown, whose behavior was so alarmingly similar to Terrell Owens, no one would have been shocked to see him doing sit-ups in his driveway Sunday night.
It should make for an interesting off-season.
Final grades
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts wasn’t as effective or productive this season, especially as a runner. Including playoffs, he had 26 touchdown passes compared to only six interceptions, but his 421 rushing yards and eight rushing TDs were far below last season’s output (824 yards, 19 TDs).
GRADE: C-plus.
Running back
Saquon Barkley had a tough act to follow after rushing for 2,000 yards a year ago. He came up quite a bit short, rushing for 1,140 yards and 7 TDs in the regular season and adding 106 yards against the Niners. Tank Bigsby was productive in limited opportunities. Will Shipley was a non-factor, as was A.J. Dillon.
GRADE: B-minus.
Offensive line
Injuries and inconsistency plagued this unit. Right tackle Lane Johnson missed eight games, including Sunday, with a Lisfranc foot injury. Guard Landon Dickerson was dealing with various injuries for much of the season. Left tackle Jordan Mailata and center Cam Jurgens both took a step back. Guard Tyler Steen was OK. Fred Johnson did a respectable job of filling in for Lane Johnson.
GRADE: B.
Wide receiver/tight end
A.J. Brown (1,003 yards) and DeVonta Smith (1,008) became the first Eagles wide receiver duo to surpass 1,000 yards. Brown led the team with 78 receptions, one more than Smith, but Brown disappeared in the playoff game. Tight end Dallas Goedert had a terrific season. His 11 regular-season TDs were a franchise best by a tight end and he became the first tight end with a receiving and rushing TD in a playoff game.
GRADE: A.
Defensive line
Tackle Jordan Davis had an outstanding season, as did tackle Moro Ojomo, whose 6 sacks were second-most on the team. Tackle Jalen Carter was dominant at times, but missed some time with shoulder injuries. Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt was terrific, leading the team in sacks (6.5) and interceptions (3).
GRADE: B-plus
Linebacker
Zach Baun had another solid season, leading the team with 123 tackles and adding 3.5 sacks, but was not quite as productive as last season. Jaelen Phillips had a profound impact after getting traded to the Birds from Miami. Rookie Jihaad Campbell got off to a strong start, but his role was greatly reduced once Nakobi Dean returned to the lineup.
GRADE: B.
Secondary
The Eagles have had some legendary cornerback combinations in their history, including Eric Allen and Roynell Young, Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, and Brown and Asante Samuel. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean may be even better. Mitchell was among the league’s top cover corners and DeJean was a monster in the slot. Adoree Jackson was just OK. Rookie safety Andrew Makuba was playing well until he got hurt. Safety Reed Blankenship took a small step back.
GRADE: A.
Special teams
With the possible exception of David Akers, Jake Elliott is the best kicker in franchise history, but it might be time to move on. He was 20-for-27 in field goals this season, but missed a crucial PAT in the playoff game.
Punter Braden Mann averaged 49.9 yards per attempt. The coverage teams were improved and Jordan Davis supplied the play of the year with his return of a blocked field goal for a TD against the Rams.
GRADE: B.
Coaching
Head coach Nick Sirianni is back under pressure for hiring and supporting offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was outstanding as usual.
GRADE: D.
SEASON AWARDS
Offensive MVP: Goedert
Defensive MVP: Mitchell
Special teams MVP: Gunner Kelee Ringo
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points. Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.
