Eagles Slide to 8-5, But Inside the Locker Room, There’s No Panic Button Being Pressed
Back in October, Nick Sirianni made it clear he wasn’t losing sleep over the idea of another late-season collapse like the one that derailed the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2023. At the time, Philly was rolling, stacking up four straight wins and looking every bit like a team built for January football.
Fast forward to mid-December, and the narrative’s shifted. The Eagles have now dropped three straight, falling to 8-5, and the echoes of last season’s unraveling are getting louder.
But if you ask the people inside the building - from ownership to the locker room - there’s no sense of déjà vu. Not even close.
Jeffrey Lurie: “This Isn’t 2023”
Owner Jeffrey Lurie isn’t buying into the panic. When asked whether this year’s skid mirrors last season’s late-season collapse, he didn’t hesitate.
“Nothing like it,” Lurie said. “Absolute opposite.
We have a Super Bowl defense and great special teams. Our offense will get it going.
I’m not worried at all.”
That’s a confident tone from the top, and it reflects a belief that this roster - particularly on the defensive side - is built to weather storms. And let’s be clear: the defense has had its moments.
But the offense? That’s where the questions are starting to pile up.
Offense Under the Microscope
Last year, the Eagles went from 10-1 to 11-6 and were bounced out of the playoffs in a lopsided wild-card loss. Reports after the season pointed to tension between Sirianni and Jalen Hurts, with their relationship described as anything from “a work in progress” to “fractured.”
This season, things haven’t been nearly as dramatic - at least not publicly - but the offensive frustrations are real. A.J.
Brown has made headlines more than once this fall, voicing his displeasure with how the offense has operated and how he’s been utilized. That kind of frustration isn’t unusual when a high-powered offense sputters, but it does add another layer to the Eagles’ current struggles.
And then came the Week 14 loss to the Chargers - a 22-19 overtime heartbreaker where Hurts turned the ball over five times (four interceptions and a fumble). That performance sparked some heated takes, including calls for Sirianni to consider benching his star quarterback.
Let’s be honest: that’s not happening. Hurts is still the engine of this offense, even if right now it’s misfiring. But the spotlight is squarely on him and Sirianni to get things back on track - and fast.
Division Still Within Reach
Here’s the good news for Philly: despite the losing streak, they’re still leading the NFC East, sitting ahead of the 6-6-1 Cowboys. The schedule also offers a chance to get right this Sunday, when the Eagles host a 2-11 Raiders team that’s clearly in rebuilding mode.
As of Thursday, the Eagles were 11.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook - a strong indicator that, at least on paper, this is a get-right game. But paper doesn’t win games in December.
Execution does. And the Eagles haven’t been sharp in that department lately.
Brandon Graham: “We’ll Get It Right”
Inside the locker room, though, the belief hasn’t wavered. Veteran defensive end Brandon Graham - one of the emotional leaders of this team - isn’t entertaining the idea of a repeat collapse.
“Nah - this ain’t no crash at the end,” Graham said. “It’s just the way it’s going right now.
We’ll get it right. I’m not worried at all. ...
This isn’t 2023. We’re definitely gonna get it right.
I just know that how we handle this right now is key. Let people talk.
While they keep talking, we’ll just keep working.”
That’s the kind of leadership you want in the trenches. Graham’s been through the highs and lows in Philly, and he knows what it takes to steer a team through rough waters. His message is simple: block out the noise, put in the work, and trust the process.
Bottom Line
The Eagles are in a funk, no doubt. But they’re still in control of their playoff destiny, still sitting atop the division, and still loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The offense needs to find its rhythm again, and quickly, but there’s no shortage of belief inside the building.
This stretch of adversity could define their season - for better or worse. And with December football heating up, we’re about to find out what this Eagles team is really made of.