3 Eagles most to blame for losing control of NFC East with Cardinals loss

Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles looked like unstoppable juggernauts from the start of the season to their trip to Super Bowl 57. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was a legitimate NFL MVP contender. The offense was nearly unstoppable with the likes of wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, in addition to their elite offensive line. Their defense was equally as dominant. Even after their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, the Eagles appeared destined to be legitimate Lombardi Trophy contenders for the foreseeable future.

Flash forward to Week 17 of the 2023 season, and the Eagles are in the midst of an epic collapse. Entering their game against the Arizona Cardinals, the team had lost three of their last four games after starting the year with a 10-1 record. On Sunday, the team blew a 21-6 lead to the Cardinals and lost 35-31. That's right, the Eagles lost to their former defensive coordinator and current Cardinals head coach, Jonathan Gannon.

Now, with this latest defeat, they cannot win the NFC East on their own. Instead, they need to beat the New York Giants in Week 18 and hope the Dallas Cowboys lose to the hapless Washington Commanders.

Who is to blame for the Eagles' late-season collapse? Here are names that stand out.

The change to Matt Patricia as defensive play caller hasn't panned out

It is odd for one of the top teams in the NFL, by record, to make a substantial change to their play-calling system. Head coach Nick Sirianni, after saying defensive coordinator Sean Desai would still call the plays for the defense, changed his mind a matter of days later and gave those duties to senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia. After this change was made, a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane indicated that Desai didn't carry himself with confidence, and players weren't buying in.

While Patricia's time as Detroit Lions head coach and offensive play-caller for the New England Patriots were unmitigated disasters, his bread-and-butter was the defense. While that was a mixed bag of results during his time with the Patriots, the Eagles tried to get some improvement out of their defensive unit.

Patricia officially took over in Week 15 for the team's game against the Seattle Seahawks. The Eagles defense gave up 297 yards of offense on 59 plays and lost 20-17 on a clutch touchdown pass from Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock to rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The Eagles may have won in Week 16 against the Giants, but the defense and mistakes on offense kept their division rivals in it. In fact, the Giants were a Hail Mary away from potentially forcing overtime. Philadelphia's defense allowed 292 yards on 59 plays while allowing New York to successfully convert three-of-five fourth-down situations.

Then, there was Sunday against the Cardinals. Arizona, who ranked near the bottom of major offensive categories, were able to do what they wanted against Philadelphia's defense. The Cardinals picked up 449 yards of offense on 72 plays, picked up 32 first downs, and were successful on both of their fourth-down opportunities.

It's hard to place the blame on Patricia for their struggles on defense all season, but the masterclass he pulled off on Sunday is hard to gloss over. Allowing the Cardinals to do that is inexcusable.