There’s no denying that the Philadelphia Eagles pretty much imploded towards the end of last season. They barely made the playoffs, and when they did, they were out right away. It certainly wasn’t what Eagles fans have been used to seeing the past few years. I mean, the Eagles actually went to the Super Bowl last year, and they were favorites to return this year. But, that didn’t happen. They didn’t even come close. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but this is the reality of it. So, what happened to the Eagles at the end of last season? Let’s get into some commentary.
Eagles punt returner Britain Covey has some thoughts on the downward spiral. Speaking with “Eagles Now” of Chat Sports this week about how the team went from 10-1 to 11-6. So, what was the deal?
“I definitely think we got emotionally tired from trying to figure out what the problem was,” Covey said, via Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. “And we kept trying to pinpoint it at this and pinpoint this. There was some miscommunication, I think, from coaches to players. There were some pointing fingers from player to player. And there was, kind of, letting outside voices impact our love for the game and just the happiness that we had. All that combined to really just kind of make it spiral.”
That’s pretty brutal but also honest. So, what will the Eagles be doing to get their momentum back next season? The team is sticking with head coach Nick Sirianni for now. But, the Eagles split with both offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Philly replaced Johnson with Kellen Moore. Now, according to ESPN’s Tim McManus, Sirianni will move into “more of a CEO head-coaching role” during the offseason.
“You want to pinpoint a spot that goes wrong, right? Brian Johnson. It wasn’t Brian Johnson,” Covey said, when asked about that. “I definitely think we needed some changes, and so we have a new coordinator. I think it’s going to be good for us. …You need change. You need fresh eyes. We still got the pieces.”
Now, some people are questioning Covey’s honestly and going public. Should he have just kept quiet? It’s pretty rare to see a teammate talk to the media about this stuff after such a rough season.
“I am stunned and I am not happy if I am the Eagles’ organization that the punt returner—now, granted, he had a really great year as a punt returner. You don’t want the guy who returns punts to say anything,” said Jon Ritchie of SPORTSRADIO 94WIP.
I get it. But, it’s got to be frustrating to just keep quiet. It wasn’t like Covey said anything too scandalous or told any inside secrets. Time will tell how the team responds to Covey’s comments, but I don’t see the big deal. Let the guy talk. The real issue at hand is just how Sirianni is going to turn things around the for Eagles next seasons. There are high expectations, and if he doesn’t deliver, it will probably be his last season with the team.