The Philadelphia Eagles dropped their third straight game on Monday night to fall to 10-4, severely hindering their chances of landing the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a corresponding first-round playoff bye.
But the Eagles’ Week 15 loss differed from their defeats in Weeks 13 and 14. In those games, Philadelphia went down to the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, widely considered two of the NFL‘s best teams.
On Monday, the Eagles were beaten by the Seattle Seahawks, who entered Week 15 below .500 and were starting backup quarterback Drew Lock for the second consecutive week. What’s going on in Philadelphia?
Eagles Upset by Drew Lock-Led Seahawks on MNF
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni tried to shake things up this week when he demoted defensive coordinator Sean Desai while turning over play-calling duties to senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia. While Desai still holds the DC title, Patricia — the former Detroit Lions head coach and New England Patriots DC and OC — will be dictating schematic decisions moving forward.
Sirianni had the ammunition to relieve Desai of play-calling responsibilities, given that the Eagles’ defense hadn’t been able to stop anyone for the past three weeks. From Weeks 12 through 14, Philadelphia ranked 30th in EPA per play (0.208) and 31st in success rate (49.1%).
Sure, the Eagles faced a gauntlet of opponents — the Buffalo Bills, 49ers, and Cowboys — during that three-game stretch. But allowing 451 yards and 36 points per game is unacceptable, no matter the competition.
And yet, promoting Patricia into the play-calling seat might have simply rearranged the deck chairs on the Titanic.
With the Eagles up 17-13 with 2:04 remaining in the fourth quarter, Sirianni passed up a 4th-and-7 from the 50-yard line, opting for a punt and hoping his defense could stop Lock, who hadn’t won a game as an NFL starter since Dec. 13, 2020.
Instead, Lock led Seattle on a 10-play, 92-yard drive in 1:24, punctuating the comeback with a 29-yard touchdown strike to first-round rookie wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Patricia appeared to have Philadelphia in a Cover 1 look with no safety help over the top, a curious choice in a situation where a field goal would have done the Seahawks no good.
Cornerback James Bradberry, whom Philadelphia re-signed to a three-year, $38 million contract this offseason, has struggled all year and was beaten by JSN for the game-winning TD. Bradberry gave up five catches for 100 yards on Monday, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
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After the game, Sirianni said he decided to turn to Patricia in the middle of last week’s game preparations and is sticking with him as the Eagles’ defensive signal-caller.
“I did what I thought I needed to do in the best interests of the football team,” Sirianni said of the staff change. “We made some adjustments there, but didn’t feel like we were playing well enough and coaching well enough on defense.”
Sirianni pointed to the 2021 campaign, when he handed over offensive play-calling responsibilities to then-OC Shane Steichen. Philadelphia revamped its offense, leaned into its rushing attack, and rebounded to earn a Wild Card berth in Sirianni’s first year as the club’s head coach.
Eagles’ Playoff Scenarios After Week 15
While the Eagles have already clinched a playoff berth, their chances of securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed and/or winning the NFC East took a significant hit on Monday night.
Philadelphia’s path to a first-round playoff bye has all but evaporated over the last three weeks. The 10-4 Eagles are a game behind the 11-3 49ers, but San Francisco has a de facto two-game lead because it holds a head-to-head tiebreaker after beating Philly in Week 13.
The Eagles would need the 49ers to drop two of their next three games — vs. BAL, at WAS, vs. LAR — while winning out themselves to claim the top seed in the NFC.
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Meanwhile, Dallas’ Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills has it at 10-4, tied with Philadelphia atop the NFC East. For now, the Cowboys are technically in first place due to their superior divisional record (4-1 vs. 3-1).
But the Eagles still control their own destiny. If Philadelphia and Dallas win out, the Eagles will win the division based on their superior record in games against common opponents.
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