The Philadelphia Eagles suffered their second consecutive blowout loss to an NFC contender, falling 33-13 in Dallas on Sunday night.
The dismal outings marked the second consecutive 20-plus point defeat after Philly getting pulverized by the San Francisco 49ers 42-19 in Week 13. It marked the first back-to-back losses by 20 or more points since Weeks 11-12, 2015, when Chip Kelly was the Eagles coach.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts went 18-of-27 passing for 197 yards and 30 rushing yards and generated his first game with zero touchdowns as the Eagles offense put up two measly field goals and fumbled three times in seven non-end-of-half drives.
The quarterback thinks that the recent difficulties are just a temporary setback, not an indication of a more serious problem.
“We’re experiencing this, but not necessarily trapped in it,” Hurts stated in the team’s official transcript. “We need to learn from it and we will. There’s also a keen desire to keep pressing on.”
Philly has not performed a full game for several weeks, and their performance throughout the season has seemed slightly off. The Eagles have only just managed to secure victories in past games, requiring comebacks to defeat Buffalo and Kansas City after the bye week.
Nick Sirianni’s team has managed to accumulate victories throughout the season, despite inconsistent performances. There have been moments when the defense has been heavily challenged, while at other times, the offense has either lost possession or struggled to make progress. Earlier in the season, one side of the team would compensate for the other’s shortcomings. However, both sides have experienced downturns in the past two weeks.
Sirianni stated, “It’s crucial for us to comprehend and confront the current adversity we’re facing. We need to ensure that we emerge stronger and improved from this situation.”
It’s not panic time in Philly, despite the embarrassment to a division rival. Philly still sits at 10-3, and while they lost the lead in the NFC East for now, they still control their future in the division.
Considering the broader perspective, the Eagles managed to pull off a 3-2 record in their most challenging five-game stretch. Despite the last two games being blowouts, the overall result isn’t too bad, especially considering the possibility of a 0-5 outcome.
“I think the biggest thing for this team now is really find out who the dudes are,” veteran defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said. “I’ve been part of teams where the dudes in the locker room do something about it, and I’ve been on teams where it kind of crumbles. But now it’s time to see the real leadership … leaders on this team, myself included, step up and do something about it.”
The Eagles face Seattle next Monday night in prime time before finishing against the Giants, Cardinals and Giants again.
