Nick Sirianni faced criticism for some questionable decisions, yet he still had the Eagles on the verge of victory, with their win probability nearly at 100% in the final minutes of the game.
The Eagles managed to hold a late lead against the Falcons, even though they made some puzzling choices. For instance, they didn’t run the ball with Saquon Barkley on their stalled opening drive, despite him scoring three touchdowns the week before.
Instead of taking an easy field goal from Jake Elliott, they attempted a risky fourth-and-4 play at the Atlanta 9-yard line, which resulted in Jalen Hurts throwing an incomplete pass.
Although Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore calls the plays, Sirianni faced questions about decision-making after the game and even accused a reporter of trying to create drama.
However, the responsibility for the failed plays ultimately falls on him.
Sirianni has been aware of the pressure since last season’s second-half struggles raised concerns about his job security. His latest setback involved a confusing pass play to Barkley in the flat, which he dropped, and a conservative field goal attempt that followed in a 22-21 loss to the Falcons.
This situation added more pressure as the season began.
“Any time it doesn’t work out, you know, that’s why I’m sitting in this seat, the head coaching seat. I’ve got to be ready for the consequences of whether it works or doesn’t work,” Sirianni said.
With time remaining in the fourth quarter, Kirk Cousins executed a perfect last-minute drive for Atlanta and threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Drake London with just 34 seconds left, leading to the upset.
