The Eagles are now 3-6 following their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday — but this loss was different than the others.
Going against a good Charger team the Eagles played right with them the entire game, and it took a 29-yard field goal two seconds left for the Chargers to put away the Eagles, 27-24.
The loss will sting, but if the Eagles play like they did on Sunday against the rest of their easy remaining schedule, you have to think they will start to stack up some wins.
There will be plenty to get into from this one, but for now, here is a look at the day Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts had:
Nick Sirianni: The Eagles are getting better — and it is because of the coaching staff.
Sirianni has shown some real growth over the last few weeks and the fact the Eagles were in the game despite a complete lack of a passing game was a credit to him and the staff. The Chargers came in being viewed as having the better roster, and they definitely had the better quarterback, but the Eagles were right with them — and that was due to coaching.
Sirianni has clearly become committed to running the ball, a major problem with the offense early on in the season. The best indication of that was on the the offensive possession after the Chargers' first touchdown of the game. Earlier in the season Sirianni likely would have come out passing, but he called running plays on the first two plays of the possession. The two runs, by Jordan Howard, went for a combined 26 yards.
The drive, which ended in a four-yard touchdown run by Howard, featured eight called runs to two called passing plays.
Sirianni made a great play call on 3rd-and-five with two minutes to play in the first half, calling a quarterback draw on 3rd-and-five that resulted in a 10-yard gain by Hurts. In a matchup against fellow rookie coach Brandon Staley, who alls the Chargers' defense, Sirianni won that matchup.
Sirianni's play calling seems to be improving. He is getting players wide open in the passing game, but due to inconsistent play from Jalen Hurts, those plays aren't resulting in big gains as often as they should. Sirianni has the offense moving, however, which is impressive.
The Eagles went up against a good Charger team and played right with them the entire game. That isn't something they could have done earlier in the season. Sirianni and his staff should feel good about the direction this team is going.
Grade: A
Jalen Hurts: Jalen Hurts had the signature drive of his career in the fourth quarter, a sign of what he can be as a quarterback if he continues to develop.
After the Chargers took the lead, 24-17 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Hurts took the Eagles on a 10-play, 78-yard drive that was capped with a 28-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. Hurts' best play of the game, and the drive, was a run on 3rd-and-four, when he escaped from the pocket almost immediately, ran to his right and dove for the first down, getting flipped over the process. The big run kept the drive alive and allowed them to ultimately tie the game.
The drive showed what Hurt can be — he is a dynamic runner, he makes smart decisions, and when you add in accurate passing, he is extremely dangerous.
Overall, Hurts has to be happy with how committed the Eagles have become to running the ball. It makes his life a quarterback easier and has helped the offense.
The only issue, however, is it makes the team's inability to pass the ball consistently really stood out for long stretches of the game.
Hurts had a chance to make a huge, game-defining play on the opening drive of the game, but missed a wide-open Dallas Goedert on 3rd-and-5 down the field. There was pressure, but that pressure was really only there because Hurts got rid of it late despite there being no defender within five yards of Goedert. The pass was thrown too far ahead, making it a tough catch that fell incomplete, a huge blown chance for the team early on in the game.
Hurts had another chance to get the Eagles in the end zone at the end of the first half on 3rd-and-goal from the six-yard line, but he put a pass to a wide-open DeVonta Smith too low and it fell incomplete. After the play Smith seemed to be telling Hurts to put the ball up higher instead of down towards his feet. It was a throw that a starting quarterback in the NFL should be able to make as there was plenty of space to get the ball to Smith.
To his credit, Hurts did come out in the second half and made nice back-to-back completions to DeVonta Smith towards the end of the third quarter, completions that totaled 43 yard. The big gains helped the Eagles offense get down the field, and the running game finished the drive, giving the Eagles a 17-16 lead. He then took them on the impressive 10-play touchdown drive on the next possession.
If Hurts can improve as a passer, the Eagle might have their guy. He has everything else. Sunday, at times, showed what he can be when he is passing the ball well.
As of now, however, the offense's biggest issue remains that Hurts and the passing game is far, far too inconsistent.
Grade: C
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
