The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-1, but Monday night's 27-7 debacle vs. the Chicago Bears felt bigger than a single mark in the loss column. The Eagles were outplayed, outcoached, and out-executed for most of the evening. Chicago controlled the line of scrimmage, won the turnover battle, and looked like the more prepared football team despite starting a 38-year-old third-string quarterback.
It's one game, and overreacting to one game is rarely wise. Still, if your emotions were running high after the final whistle, you're probably not alone. Here are a few gut reactions following Philadelphia's disappointing loss. Some seem obvious. Naturally, we hope we're wrong about some of them.
Nick Sirianni is facing his biggest challenge in years
Nick Sirianni often finds himself at the center of criticism, fairly
or unfairly. He'll hear plenty after this one. The Eagles haven't been held to seven points since a 13-7 loss to the New York Giants during Sirianni's first season as head coach. That alone illustrates how rare offensive performances like this have been under his watch.
The bigger issue is that the problems extended beyond one side of the ball. The offense struggled. The defense struggled. The team committed ten penalties. When every phase of the operation looks disconnected at the same time, the head coach naturally becomes part of the conversation.
The Bears officially have the Eagles' number.
At some point, coincidence stops being a satisfactory explanation. The Bears have handed Philadelphia frustrating losses in back-to-back seasons, and Monday night's performance may have been the most concerning example yet. Chicago didn't beat the Eagles behind its franchise quarterback. The Bears didn't need a heroic performance from a superstar. They didn't even need to dominate with the rushing attack as they did on Black Friday last November.
Instead, they handed the ball to a veteran backup and watched him comfortably operate an offense that consistently found answers against Vic Fangio's defense. Philadelphia now knows Chicago can beat them in multiple ways, and that's an uncomfortable realization.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. deserves an opportunity.
This isn't an argument against Jihaad Campbell. He remains a talented young player with tremendous upside. He's also experiencing predictable growing pains, particularly in coverage, where opposing offenses have repeatedly targeted him through three games.
The question becomes whether the Eagles are asking too much, too soon. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has barely seen the field, and it's fair to wonder whether he deserves a larger role. Competition isn't punishment. Sometimes it's part of the developmental process. Right now, Philadelphia may benefit from finding out exactly what Trotter can provide.
This may be the best version of the offensive line and rushing attack
That's a concerning thought. The running game looked effective early. Saquon Barkley produced 73 of his 82 rushing yards before halftime and consistently found space against Chicago's front.
The problem is that the Eagles couldn't sustain that success, and the offensive line continues to show cracks. Cam Jurgens struggled again in pass protection, and the group never established the type of control fans have come to expect from Philadelphia's front five. Three weeks into the season, this unit looks good enough to win games. It doesn't currently look dominant.
The defense has become a legitimate concern.
This probably would have sounded ridiculous a month ago, yet through three games, the Eagles have failed to force a turnover. They've missed tackles, committed costly penalties, surrendered explosive plays, and allowed a backup quarterback to look far too comfortable.
Nobody is suggesting panic. Vic Fangio has earned the benefit of the doubt, and this defense has too much talent to assume these issues are permanent. Still, the concerns are no longer hypothetical. They're real, they're visible, and they're growing louder with each passing week.
The good news for Philadelphia is that everything discussed above remains fixable. The bad news is that a ticked-off Los Angeles Rams team is next on the schedule. Monday night's loss felt like a wake-up call. The Eagles now have six days to prove they were listening.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: 5 immediate reactions to the Eagles’ loss to the Bears
