The Eagles insist history isn’t repeating itself, but the echoes are growing louder than ever.
INGLEWOOD, California — In a moment of anxious reflection for the Philadelphia Eagles and everyone who cares about them, owner Jeffrey Lurie carried a surprising buoyancy. About half an hour after the defending champions squandered a 22-19 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night at SoFi Stadium, Lurie, who has steered the franchise since 1994, stopped by second-year cornerback Cooper DeJean’s locker and offered upbeat words of encouragement.
He carried a different kind of credibility than the locker-room mascot seen at their training facility last week—a cheerful “Positivity Rabbit”—and his message felt more real and reassuring.
“In 32 years, I don’t think we’ve ever lost a game we were about to win, like on a missed field goal or a last-second catch or something like that,” Lurie said, eyes bright with a boyish spark. “(Brian) Dawkins would make a key play in the end zone, or something would happen and we’d pull it out. Maybe I’m misremembering, but I don’t think it’s ever happened until now. I expected us to do it again. We were just a couple of plays away.”
Yet for Philadelphia fans already in a frenzy after their prior debacle—a 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears on Black Friday—Monday’s misfire only amplified the uproar, like a jolt of thunder from a guitar solo.
The defending Super Bowl champions (8-5) have now gone five straight games without scoring more than 21 points—their longest such drought in twenty years. The offense lacks the crispness that used to define them, almost as if a key component had shifted from precise timing to uncertain improvisation.
Indeed, several of the same players who helped the team dismantle the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX just ten months ago remain, yet the vibe increasingly resembles 2023's cliff-edge crisis.
That season’s arc began with a striking surge to 10-1 before a blowout loss at home to the 49ers, a game now remembered for a sideline clash between Dre Greenlaw and Eagles security chief Dominic DiSandro. After that night, the season unraveled, culminating in six losses in seven games and a 32-9 playoff exit to the Buccaneers.
So the question returns: is this a bad sequel?
After Monday’s game, several Eagles players insisted they aren’t reliving 2023’s nightmare.
“No,” wide receiver DeVonta Smith said. “It’s not even close to 2023.”
Star running back Saquon Barkley, who joined the Eagles as a free agent the following season, echoed that sentiment, though with a wary note.
“A lot of people bring up 2023,” Barkley said, shaking his head. “I wasn’t here. A lot of guys weren’t here. And the guys who were here would be crazy not to learn from that. It may not make sense right now. … It doesn’t make sense to me.”
On paper, the situation reads like a head-scratcher: a team with talent and a championship pedigree, yet whose offense looks out of sync. The lineup has notched a rank-low in offensive efficiency, and the balance between passing and running hasn’t clicked consistently. Jalen Hurts, despite a résumé that includes a Super Bowl MVP performance, has endured turnover troubles and has shown reluctance to target intermediate routes. Barkley, working behind a limping offensive line, has averaged a modest 4.0 yards per carry, down from last season’s pace. Wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have combined for only nine touchdowns and have caught roughly two-thirds of the passes thrown their way.
First-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, elevated after Kellen Moore departed for New Orleans, has absorbed a fair share of the criticism, with head coach Nick Sirianni becoming more involved in game planning. After the Bears game, some fans even targeted Patullo’s home, though there was no widely reported Easter Bunny-related cause—just a media-fueled whirl of speculation.
Two years ago, the offense floundered as well, with Brian Johnson serving as a surrogate for Patullo. Back then, the defense also struggled, and the staff turnover that followed the 2023 season contributed to a wider organizational shakeup. Vic Fangio, one of the most respected defensive minds, was brought in to steady the ship, and his unit has remained a foundation of the team’s confidence.
Defensive end Brandon Graham, who briefly came out of retirement to rejoin the Eagles, insists this isn’t a crash landing. “It’s not 2023,” he said. “We’ll fix it. We’ve still got Vic. We’ve faced tougher moments before. Let the noise keep buzzing; we’ll keep grinding.”
Sirianni’s leadership has drawn praise for guiding the team to a championship, and Howie Roseman’s prowess as a talent scout remains a cornerstone of belief in Philadelphia. Owner Jeffrey Lurie, who has achieved his dream of delivering a Super Bowl title, still hopes for another triumph—this time delivering a championship in Santa Clara, California, later this season.
“I have zero concern,” Lurie asserted near DeJean’s locker, trying to downplay the sting of a third straight loss. “We had a lot of turnovers, but some were flukes.”
Was it a step toward 2023’s descent, or a temporary stumble on the path to another peak?
The coming weeks will reveal whether the Eagles can reclaim their stride, especially with a schedule that includes a home date against the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders and a stretch featuring two games against the 3-10 Washington Commanders, followed by a challenging road test against the 9-4 Buffalo Bills. The pressure is unmistakable, and the consequences will be measured not just by wins and losses but by whether the team can convert its evident talent into consistent, postseason-worthy football.
As Barkley put it, the team believes in its capabilities and its leadership. The real question now is whether their on-field performance will finally align with that confidence—and whether the ongoing chatter around the organization will sharpen or derail their focus. With a fan base never shy about voicing its opinions and a local media ecosystem renowned for scrutiny, the Eagles face a delicate balancing act: respond to criticism with resolve, or let doubt creep into the fabric of their play.
And the broader debate endures: is this merely a rough patch in a proven organization, or a sign of deeper, systemic issues that could alter the trajectory of a franchise that has shown it can defy conventional wisdom? What do you think: is this just a stumble or a deeper pattern that demands a major adjustment? Share your take in the comments.
