PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles were indeed flying high as the best in the NFL, boasting a 10-1 record and with a No. 1 seed, home-field advantage in the playoffs, and yes, a Super Bowl ring all ahead as credible goals.
This season? On the way to Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 in New Orleans, a rematch from two years ago against the Kansas City Chiefs?
No, try 2023, when coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts’ run at a Super Bowl instead turned into one of the more epic meltdowns in Philly sports history — and there have been scores of them.
The Eagles were 10-1 until they were clobbered by the San Francisco 49ers at home by 23 points in an NFC championship game rematch during the regular season. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Eagles by 20 points the next week, and the losses — and finger pointing — snowballed from there. The Eagles limped to a 1-5 record down the stretch before they were put of their misery in a wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the first weekend of the playoffs.
Sirianni was on the hot seat despite three playoff appearances and a Super Bowl trip in three seasons. He stayed, but what was mandated were changes from the assistants to the game plan to drafting to repairing the loose connective tissue inside the locker room.