Nick Sirianni leaving Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Eagles starters in the game late in 4th quarter yesterday was completely ridiculous

The Philadelphia Eagles got destroyed by the San Francisco 49ers yesterday, losing at home in embarrassing fashion 42-19.

There was a million things that did not go as planned for the Eagles yesterday. The defense couldn’t make a tackle. The offense looked lost in the red zone. Nick Sirianni and the rest of the Eagles staff were completely out coached. You name it. It happened.

Luckily with the loss, the Eagles are still 10-2 on the season and yesterday was just a regular season game after a tough schedule in which Philadelphia played three games over the last two weeks. Take the beating and learn from it because we have the Cowboys in Dallas next Sunday night.

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One thing did really “irk” me at the the end of the game yesterday, with Nick Sirianni keeping starters in the game, specifically Jalen Hurts, while the Eagles were getting curb stomped late in the fourth quarter. It literally made zero sense and left Eagles fans who were still in attendance (god bless you) or watching at home (god bless you too) completely dumbfounded.

Jimmy Kempski from The Philly Voice thankfully asked Nick Siranni about this after the game and the response was certainly interesting.

Nick Sirianni on keeping starters in late in the 4th Quarter: [h/t Crossing Broad]

Jimmy Kempski: You haven’t often been in a position where you’re down this big late in the fourth quarter. What’s the benefit of keeping the starters in?

Nick Sirianni: We were still down two possessions. There was some time. We had our timeouts still. Just trying to continue the game.

Jimmy Kempski: I think you were down 23.

Nick Sirianni: Yeah, we’re going to fight to the end.

Look I get it. Fight til the end. Never give up. The game isn’t over ‘til it’s over. Football is a full four quarters. Blah blah blah. Whatever. Yesterday was not the time to play hero ball, Nick.

It’s complete nonsense to keep starters in the game, even more so when the NFL MVP front-runner that is your quarterback, Jalen Hurts, had just returned from the locker room after he passed concussion protocol while your team is down 35-19 with under 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. 

Hurts came back into the game with 8:48 left on the clock and did manage to get the Eagles offense down the field to score on a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, but they failed to convert the 2-point conversion and onside kick. San Francisco then scored yet again two players later after the Eagles defense embarrassed themselves for the millionth time in the game to extend their lead to 42-19 with 5:19 left on the clock. 

That game was OVER. Not a single soul on earth thought the Eagles were going to win so there was literally zero reason to have any of your starters in the game. Jalen Hurts and company were down 23 with 5:19 on the clock! We are entering Dallas week and he just passed concussion protocol while playing with a bum knee all season. What in the world are you thinking, Sirianni?

Oh! This also happened. The Eagles had the football on 3rd and 9 on the 49ers’ 27-yard line when Hurts completed a pass to D’Andre Swift for a short gain. Swift had both the football and soul knocked out of his body by an INSANE (and legal) hit from 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.

D’Andre Swift was almost murdered on one of the best hits we’ve seen in the NFL all season. 

oh my goodness pic.twitter.com/sVR9kk2w1M

— alex (@highlightheaven) December 4, 2023

Side Note: Given the fact that Brian Johnson and the Eagles offense refuses to give Swift the ball, maybe that was the plan all along? He rushed just six times yesterday for a miserable 13 yards.

Yesterday was a rough one but the fact remains that the Philadelphia Eagles are 10-2 on the season and still hold on to the first seed in the NFC. Plenty of things need to change on both sides of the football and the sidelines, but right now it’s important to flush what happened yesterday and turn focus to the Dallas Cowboys.

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