The Philadelphia Eagles lost 24-20 to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, October 4. The Eagles led 20-10 entering the fourth quarter. The Eagles faced 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line with 7:31 left. Head coach Nick Sirianni passed on a field goal and went for the touchdown. Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw incomplete to receiver Darius Cooper. The Rams then drove 98 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Matthew Stafford led a 79-yard drive that won it with 1:10 left. Sirianni said, "You go for it and you don't get it, that's on the head coach." Writers and fans now disagree on what lost the game.

1. Sirianni Should Have Taken the Points

Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho and Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes say the coach gave away a game he'd already won.

A field goal would have kept the Eagles in control. Acho said Sirianni "cost the Eagles a very, very, very, very winnable game." A kick makes the score 23-10. The Rams would still have needed two scores. The Eagles would have kept the ball instead of risking a turnover on downs.

Injuries don't excuse the call. Hayes writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He argues the failed pass gave away three points and revived Stafford. Several Eagles starters were out, including receiver DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. Hayes calls injuries "a loser's excuse." He also criticizes Sirianni for following the analytics.

2. Going for It Was Right, and the Players Missed

NJ.com's Johnny McGonigal and PhillyVoice's Geoff Mosher say the numbers back the call and the execution failed.

The numbers favor going for it. McGonigal writes for NJ.com. He cites ESPN's win probability model: 97.3% going for it versus 95.3% with a field goal. He also quotes ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder, who says the Eagles needed only a 13% chance of converting to justify the attempt. Sirianni's own reasoning was that a touchdown would make it a three-score game. McGonigal writes that the decision "didn't cost the Eagles the game. Their lack of execution did."

The two plays at the goal line went wrong. Mosher covers the Eagles for PhillyVoice. He points out that Hurts and center Cam Jurgens appeared to collide on a third-down bootleg. Hurts got stopped for no gain. On fourth down Hurts felt pressure and rushed his throw. Mosher says a field goal would have meant losing by one point instead of four, which changes nothing.

The players agree. Hurts said, "Poor execution. I don't think there's any other way to put it." Left tackle Jordan Mailata said, "Third-and-2, 4th-and-2, you gotta punch that in."

3. One Play Doesn't Explain 0-for-12

The Philly Special Show's Anthony DiBona and CBS Sports say the whole offense broke down.

The offense was bad all day. The Eagles went 0-for-12 on third down, scored no points in the second half, and finished with 172 total yards. Running back Saquon Barkley also left with a hamstring injury.

Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's plan didn't work. DiBona says the play-call was worse than the decision to go for it. He blames Mannion for forcing an under-center scheme and for calling slow-developing pass plays against heavy blitzes. He also says Hurts, who by his count completed 12 of 27 passes for 93 yards, was "hesitant to throw all game long." CBS Sports says the Eagles' second-half offense ranks last in the NFL. It blames Sirianni and Mannion together.

Where This Lands

Acho and Hayes say Sirianni should have kicked the field goal and kept the lead. McGonigal and Mosher say going for it was right by the numbers. They say the botched bootleg and Hurts's rushed throw cost the Eagles the two yards. DiBona and CBS Sports say an offense that went 0-for-12 on third down had bigger problems than one call. Sirianni took the blame, and Hurts called it poor execution.

Sources