The Philadelphia Eagles' Week 9 game is behind them. They have spent much of this season searching for an offensive identity. One has to wonder whether finding one will stretch into the offseason. Another frustrating loss has given the coaching staff two weeks to figure out what needs to change.
The problems aren't limited to one position group or one area of the game. Philadelphia has struggled to sustain drives. They can't protect their quarterback, regardless of who it is. They can't generate the kind of consistency needed to keep opposing defenses honest.
Philadelphia's running game has become another casualty of an offense that can't find its footing. The Eagles haven't been able to consistently move the chains, and Sirianni believes that lack
of offensive efficiency has played a significant role in limiting their opportunities on the ground.
He spoke with the media after the game and acknowledged that the coaching staff has discussed simplifying the offense, and the bye week will provide an opportunity to examine whether a different approach can help get things moving. An overhaul wasn't promised, but Sirianni's comments suggest the Eagles are willing to reconsider how they're doing it.
Nick Sirianni hints that offensive simplification remains an option
Sirianni was asked whether Philadelphia could make its offense more digestible for players by simplifying the scheme or game plan. His answer indicated that the subject had already been discussed before the loss to the Giants. He also hinted that the conversation may remain front and center during evaluations during the bye.
"Yeah, we're looking at all that. I think that especially with — I think that's definitely something we went through last week with that and we'll look more at that in the bye week. We'll see. This has always been a good opportunity for us coming out of a bye week to kind of figure some things out and it gives you a little bit of extra time. We'll go through our process. I'm excited to go through our process. Obviously, sucks that we have to sit here with this loss and the last however many games have went for a two week period, but there's a real opportunity for growth in this area and we'll look at everything. Because again, to my point earlier, is whether it's this or whether it's that, it's still on us as coaches to figure it out. That starts with us of, 'How do we figure this out?' It's a fundamental. It's on us coaches to figure it out and put the guys in positions. It's scheme. It's execution. It doesn't matter. It's all on us first and foremost."
The important part of that response is Sirianni's acknowledgment that the coaching staff has to find a way to put its players in better positions. That doesn't mean the scheme is automatically the problem, but it does mean the coaches aren't treating execution as an excuse to avoid examining their own approach.
The Eagles' running game is feeling the effects of a struggling offense
Philadelphia's inability to sustain drives has created a problem that extends beyond the passing game. Sirianni acknowledged that third-down struggles have affected the team's ability to run the football, making it difficult to establish the balance the Eagles want offensively.
Those problems are naturally connected. When an offense consistently puts itself in difficult down-and-distance situations, it becomes harder to call the running plays it wants and maintain possession long enough to wear down a defense. The Eagles can't expect their ground game to carry the offense when the passing game and third-down execution repeatedly put them behind schedule.
That distinction matters as the coaching staff evaluates the offense. Simply calling more running plays won't fix the problem if Philadelphia keeps struggling on early downs and putting itself in unfavorable situations. The Eagles need to create more manageable opportunities, sustain possessions, and give the running game a chance to become a consistent part of the offense rather than something they struggle to establish.
The coming bye week offers an opportunity to address those issues together. Simplifying the scheme could help players operate with more confidence, but the bigger challenge is finding an offensive approach that produces consistent execution and lets the unit's different elements complement one another.
Sirianni hasn't indicated exactly what will change, and there is no guarantee the Eagles will emerge from the break with a dramatically different offense. But after seven consecutive losses, insisting that the current approach only needs better execution would be a difficult position to defend.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Could a simpler offense help Eagles? Sirianni addresses bye-week plans
