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

The Eagles' struggles all fall at the feet of head coach Nick Sirianni

The problems of the Philadelphia Eagles all fall at the feet of head coach Nick Sirianni.

Philadelphia appeared to hit a home run with the hiring of Sirianni, even after his awkward introductory press conference. He led the Eagles to the playoffs in his first year as head coach. Then last year led the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Sirianni became a fan favorite of the Eagles faithful and the subject of disdain for other fanbases due in part to his boisterous behavior on the sidelines or nodding into the cameras after a big Eagles play.

But, it appears the honeymoon phase has ended. Sirianni is overseeing an uncharacteristic collapse this season.

Sirianni had to replace two of his top assistants, Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon, and it appears his replacement choices haven't panned out. Sean Desai had play-calling duties taken away from him 14 games into his tenure and gave them to senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia. Then, Sirianni picked Brian Johnson to replace Shane Steichen, and the offense hasn't been that explosive since the start of the season and not nearly as dominant since Steichen left.

Not to mention some tense moments from players. There was Week 16 in which Sirianni was seen getting into animated conversations with linebacker Haason Reddick and wide receiver DeVonta Smith. Not to mention, A.J. Brown hasn't spoken to the media in recent weeks during the team's struggles, including after their win over the Giants, in which the receiver said, "I got nothing nice to say." Brown also didn't speak with reporters after the loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.

Perhaps most importantly, Sirianni watched a sure-fire division title slip from the team's grasp. Now, the Dallas Cowboys can win the NFC East with a victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 18. As for Sirianni, instead of trying to get things right before the playoffs, he has entertained the possibility of resting his starters.

Yes, resting starters does have its benefits, but with how much they struggled down the stretch, it may be best to do so in the regular-season finale instead of seeing those mistakes hurt them in the playoffs.

If the Eagles see an early exit from the playoffs, one has to wonder if Sirianni will be on the hot seat, or if he will have to make some serious changes to his coaching style and staff this offseason.