Changes are coming for Eagles

By DAVID WEINBERG

“You better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone,

For the times, they are a-changin. …” Bob Dylan

Eagles center Jason Kelce looked up at the giant scoreboard at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium Monday night and slowly shook his head.

The final seconds of a 32-9 playoff loss to the Buccaneers were ticking away. Hitting :00 meant the Eagles’ once-promising season, and Kelce’s career, was ending.

TV cameras showed the 36-year-old trudging through the stadium tunnel, tears puddled on his bearded cheeks, before pausing to hug Eagles general manager Howie Roseman en route to the visitor’s locker room.

Kelce politely declined to speak to reporters, but announced his retirement Tuesday through a team release.

It marks the end of a legendary career that includes 193 regular-season games and a team-record 156 consecutive starts over 13 seasons.

During that time, he was named as a six-time All Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. But his value extended way beyond the middle of the offensive line.

Kelce was the team’s soul, the embodiment of what it meant to be a Philadelphia Eagle. Although there was a statue erected in honor of “Philly Special,” the most enduring memory of Super Bowl LII was Kelce, clad in a gaudy, green Mummer’s costume borrowed from the Avalon String Band, delivering a raucous, colorful speech on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.

About two months ago, it didn’t look like the Eagles’ season would be ending in Tampa. They were the odds-on favorites to be heading to Las Vegas for this year’s Super Bowl, having rolled to a league-best 10-1 record.

Instead, Monday’s loss to the Bucs – the second-worst playoff defeat in franchise history behind a 34-10 loss in Dallas in 1992 – capped a shocking collapse that saw the Eagles lose six of their last seven games.

As a result, the only way Kelce will go to the Super Bowl now is if younger brother Travis and the Chiefs make it. And he’ll likely be sitting in a luxury box next to Taylor Swift.

The epic fail will no doubt spark changes.

Although Kelce will be retiring, he won’t be the only one leaving. He was among several players on the north side of 30, including defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (33), defensive end Brandon Graham (35), tackle Lane Johnson (33) and cornerback Darius Slay (33). Cornerback James Bradberry is 30, but played like he’s 50.

Johnson has proven he’s still among the league’s best at his position. Cox and Graham had decent years, but are no longer elite. Neither is Slay.

Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie have to weigh loyalty against production, which is an extremely difficult decision.

It’s a tricky situation. The Eagles made the mistake of letting safety Brian Dawkins leave too early in 2009. The Phillies made the mistake of keeping Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmie Rollins a few years too long.

The turnover will almost certainly extend to the coaching staff.

Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson was criticized throughout the season and really struggled during the slump. Later in the season, coach Nick Sirianni made the controversial decision to demote defensive coordinator Sean Desai and hand the defense over to consultant Matt Patricia.

The defense was worse under Patricia than it ever was under Desai. The Eagles surrendered 31.3 points per game in losses to Arizona, the Giants and Bucs. Opposing receivers roamed free in the secondary and poor tackling was rampant.

The most alarming issue during the late-season collapse, however, was the lack of continuity, chemistry and accountability. Week after week, there were players-only meetings and promises of a rebound, but they bounced back with a thud, like a basketball without air.

That falls on the head coach.

It was ludicrous to suggest Sirianni was in danger of losing his job two months ago. The Eagles were a year removed from a narrow loss in the Super Bowl and owned the best record in the league.

But now his seat is hotter than the wings that will be served at Wing Fest at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City next month.

Roseman and Lurie will be asking some tough questions during the offseason. How Sirianni answers will determine if he’s back next season.

I think he deserves a year to turn the team around, but judging by the look of disappointment on Lurie’s face Monday night, I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s looking for another job.

Maybe Jason Kelce can get him a bartending gig at Ocean Drive in Sea Isle City.

Local NFL update

Local NFL fans looking for a reason to watch the divisional round of the playoffs can focus on the Packers and Chiefs.

Packers wide receiver Bo Melton (Cedar Creek) will be playing at San Francisco Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. in an NFC divisional round game. Melton caught one pass for 7 yards in Green Bay’s 48-32 win over the Cowboys last weekend.

Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (Vineland) will be at Buffalo in the AFC divisional round Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Pacheco, Melton’s teammate at Rutgers University, rushed for a 89 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs’ 26-7 victory over Miami last weekend.

Another local player, Cowboys safety Markquese Bell (Bridgeton) tied for the team lead with 10 tackles in the loss to the Packers.

Eagles-Bucs 2-minute drill

Eagles’ best number: 148 (DeVonta Smith receiving yards)

Eagles’ worst number: 337 (Baker Mayfield passing yards)

View from my living room:
That was just an ugly performance in every aspect. Offense, defense and especially coaching all came up woefully short. The 32-9 loss was the second-worst playoff loss in Eagles history. The worst was a 34-10 defeat at Dallas in the 1992 divisional round.

Three stars

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield (22-for-36, 337 yards, 3 TDs).
Bucs linebacker Lavonte David (helped hold Eagles to just 9 points).
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (8 receptions, 148 yards).

Eagles’ best play
Smith got loose deep in the second quarter and hauled in a nice pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts for a 55-yard gain.

Eagles’ worst play
Their tackling woes reached a peak when Bucs rookie wide receiver Trey Palmer caught a short pass from Mayfield, broke away from cornerback James Bradberry and safety Kevin Byard, and sprinted 56 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Turning point
The Eagles were trailing 16-9 in the third quarter when Hurts was called for intentional grounding while getting sacked in the end zone for a safety. Two plays later, Mayfield hit Palmer for his TD to put the game out of reach.

Did you notice?
The Eagles ended the season by losing sixth of their last seven games. … The Bucs advanced to the divisional round at Detroit next Sunday. … Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) did not play. … Center Jason Kelce, defensive end Brandon Graham and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox may have played their last games. … Place-kicker Jake Elliott booted a field goal and a third negated when coach Nick Sirianni opted to accept an offside penalty. The Eagles went for it on fourth-and-5 and didn’t make it. … Eagles also went for two points after a touchdown and were stopped.

Swift-Kelce a dynamic duo

Contrary to popular belief – not to mention the NFL’s TV broadcasts and various entertainment/gossip media outlets – the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t the only team with a Kelce-Swift duo.

As first noted in this space last week, the Eagles actually have a more powerful pairing than Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Eagles center Jason Kelce and running back D’Andre Swift are also a pretty dynamic duo.

“T Swifty” watched Sunday’s 41-10 Chiefs win over the Bears from a suite at Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce’s mom, Donna, then joined Travis for a victory party at Kansas City’s Prime Social Rooftop restaurant.

Monday night, “D Swifty” and Jason were prime players in the Eagles’ 25-11 win at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. D’Andre Swift rushed for 130 yards – his second straight 100-yard rushing effort – in helping the Birds stay undefeated.

The Eagles are 3-0 for a second straight season. Surprisingly, it’s the first time they’ve won their first three games in back-to-back seasons in 30 years, when they went 3-0 in 1992-93 under coach Rich Kotite.

Former coach Andy Reid led some outstanding teams during his 14-year tenure (1999-2012). The Birds won four straight NFC East titles from 2001-04, reaching the NFC Championship game those years, yet always stumbled at the outset.

Doug Pederson won his first three games after replacing Chip Kelly in 2016 and started 10-1 en route to winning the Super Bowl the following season, but the lone loss in that stretch came in the second game, a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs.

Back in ’92-’93, the Eagles got off to fast starts, but endured different finishes. In 1992, they were dealing with the tragic death of defensive tackle Jerome Brown in a car accident that summer. The Birds finished 11-5 that season behind quarterback Randall Cunningham and a tremendous defense that featured defensive end Reggie White, linebacker Seth Joyner and cornerback Eric Allen. The season ended with a 34-10loss at Dallas in the NFC divisional round.

The luck ran out in ’93.

Cunningham suffered a broken ankle in the fourth game against the Jets. The team lost seven of its next eight behind quarterbacks Bubby Brister and Ken O’Brien and missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record.

Barring injuries to key players, this season’s edition should be able to avoid a slump.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been inconsistent in the early going – he threw two interceptions against the Bucs – but is expected to regain top form. Most importantly, the offensive and defensive lines have been outstanding.

That should help them handle a tough schedule that features upcoming games against the other undefeated teams. The Eagles play host to the Dolphins (3-0) on October 22 and take on the 49ers (3-0) on December 3 at the Linc.

It remains to be seen if Taylor and Travis will still be a couple by that point, but there’s little doubt D’Andre and Jason will be a powerful pair.

A.C. Boxing Hall of Fame this weekend

The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame will be holding its seventh induction ceremonies this Saturday night at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City.
This year’s class includes former heavyweight champions George Foreman, Shannon Briggs and Pinklon Thomas, plus long-time contender David Tua. The group also includes former outstanding local fighters such as welterweight Shamone Alvarez and heavyweight Darroll Wilson.
Referees Benjy Estevez Jr. and Rudy Battle are also members of the newest Hall of Fame Class, as well as local trainer Arnold Robbins and advisor Matt Howard.
The weekend festivities start with a boxing card at Bally’s Atlantic City Friday night. Mays Landing super-welterweight Isiah Hart (6-3, 4 KOs) is scheduled to face Philadelphia’s Elijah Vines (6-0, 6 KO’s) on the undercard.

Column: Eagles suffer ugly playoff loss

I spent Saturday afternoon and evening in Ocean City, where my wife’s siblings and some cousins gathered for a belated Christmas and New Year’s celebration at her aunt’s home.

Given that Joey and Mike Mckeown and several other relatives are avid Eagles fans, there was plenty of talk about their upcoming playoff game against Tampa Bay. They were cautiously optimistic, but if the Eagles happened to win, Joey – who lives in Chicago – had already made plans to attend next week’s game at Lambeau Field.

A few hours and more than a few drinks later, the conversation took an odd turn. It seems that several folks at the party had bought bidets and were singing its praises as an effective, pleasant, even enjoyable alternative to toilet paper.

It turned out the topics were tied together, for the Eagles played like … well, you know, in their 31-15 loss to the Buccaneers.

All the good feelings generated during the second half off the regular season were flushed away by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers defense. Tampa will be moving on to the divisional round of the playoffs while the Eagles will be starting what figures to be a pivotal offseason.

The blowout loss – the Eagles trailed 31-0 after three quarters – exposed several weaknesses that need to be addressed if they expect to be NFC East and playoff contenders again next season.

Coach Nick Sirrani and the team made an impressive turnaround down the stretch by winning seven of their last 10 games after a 2-5 start, but it wasn’t all that great when you consider they were playing a last-place schedule. The Eagles beat most of the teams they were supposed to beat, but were a combined 0-6 against opponents that wound up joining them in the playoffs.
Sunday made it 0-7.

The Eagles got off to yet another slow start Sunday, which is OK when you’re going against the Jets, Giants and Washington Football Team. It doesn’t work so well when you fall behind good teams like the Bucs, who led 17-0 at halftime. And that falls on Sirianni for not having his team adequately prepared.

Consider the Eagles’ first three offensive series Sunday produced 12 yards, one first down (on a penalty) and zero points while the Bucs scored two touchdowns and a field goal in their first four possessions. The Eagles were not only outplayed, they were also outcoached.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts’ future might also come into question. He picked the worst possible time to play his worst game of the season. He committed key mistakes at inopportune times, starting with an interception in the end zone toward the end of the first half. I still think he should be their quarterback in 2022, but I’m not quite as positive as I was a week ago.

I am positive that wide receiver/returner Jalen Reagor has to go. Any chance the Eagles had of making a comeback Sunday disappeared when Reagor foolishly tried to field a punt, only to let it bounce off his hands for a turnover. He also fumbled another punt later in the game and was invisible as a receiver.

I think a change of scenery would benefit him, much like it did with wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Mack Hollins. Come to think of it, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside would also be better off on another team. Sirianni and the coaches may think they have potential, but an unforgiving fan base would be relentless.

That might also be the case with defensive end Derek Barnett. True, that roughing-the-passer penalty in the first quarter was questionable, but his reputation as a dirty player precedes him. There was also no reason for him to get in Tom Brady’s face later in the game. He was probably reminding him of his fumble recovery after Brandon Graham’s strip sack in Super Bowl LII.

The defense actually didn’t play all that bad against the Bucs, considering they were missing their best pass rusher. Defensive end Josh Sweat miss the game after undergoing what the team termed surgery for a “life-threatening condition” earlier in the week. Ryan Kerrigan of all people stepped up and had his first decent game of the season after being invisible for the first 17 games. But they need more depth up front, not to mention at linebacker and in the secondary. Veteran defensive tackle/end Fletcher Cox didn’t get close to Brady until the post-game handshakes.

Special teams also clearly needs an overhaul, aside from place-kicker Jake Elliott. First-year punter Arryn Siposs continued his second-half collapse against the Bucs. His first two punts traveled 27 and 36 yards, respectively.

All in all, it was a performance that deserved to be wiped away as soon as possible.

Unless you have a bidet.

Eagles-Bucs 2-Minute Drill

Eagles’ best number: 4 (Eagles sacks against Tom Brady)

Eagles’ worst number: 3 (Eagles turnovers)

View from my living room: Spent Saturday in Ocean City visiting with some of my wife’s cousins. The talk was about the Eagles game and bidets, oddly enough. Turns out the Eagles played like … Well, you know.

Three stars

Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans (9 catches, 117 yards, 1 TD)
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady (271 yards, 2 touchdown passes)
Bucs safety Mike Edwards (team-high 9 tackles, interception)

Eagles’ best play
Running back Boston Scott put the Eagles on the scoreboard with a 34-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Eagles’ worst play
Punt returner Jalen Reagor muffed a punt that led to a Buccaneers touchdown in the third quarter.

Turning point
The Eagles trailed 17-0, but seemed to be gaining some momentum in the second quarter. It disappeared when Edwards cut in front of DeVonta Smith and intercepted quarterback Jalen Hurts in the end zone to end the threat.

Did you notice?
Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat underwent emergency surgery earlier in the week to address what the team termed a “life-threatening situation” and did not play. … Bucs running back Leonard Fournette did not play. … Bucs Pro Bowl right tackle Tristan Wirfs was forced out of the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. … Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett was called for roughing the passer in the first quarter and later exchanged words with Brady. … DeVonta Smith was a non-factor until late in the game. … Eagles running backs had 56 yards on 9 carries. Scott accounted for 34 on one play. … Including this game, Eagles were 0-7 this season against teams that made the playoffs.