Eagles more unhappy than optimistic despite 11 wins

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nick Sirianni yelled and gestured at linebacker Haason Reddick, and the Eagles coach even had some words for wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who had caught a 36-yard touchdown. Sure, tempers flare on the sideline in the NFL all the time. But these arguments came in the waning moments of an Eagles’ 33-25 win — one that briefly tied them for the best record in the NFL and gave them the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

So why all the unhappiness?

Because the Eagles nearly coughed up a 17-point halftime lead against a lowly Giants team that benched their quarterback at halftime and because Philadelphia again played an undisciplined, sloppy game that showed it's far from an elite team.

At least right now.

But the fact remains, the Eagles do have 11 wins and are pretty healthy. They’ll be heavy favorites in their final two games — against Arizona on Sunday and the Giants again in the finale — and should win the NFC East and perhaps keep the No. 2 seed. The 49ers’ surprising blowout loss to Baltimore even kept alive a still-long shot bid for the Eagles to earn the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage, though the Lions could overtake them at No. 2 by winning their final two games.

But the fact also remains, the Eagles were bad during a three-game losing streak against the NFL’s top teams in San Francisco and Dallas, played poorly against a so-so Seattle team and had to play to the wire against the five-win Giants. Nothing here indicates another Super Bowl run is on the horizon.

Yes, Christmas music blared in the locker room, but the Eagles were generally as morose as they are after losses. Some spoke in hushed tones. Reddick and A.J. Brown didn’t talk at all to the media. There were private chats among players huddled at lockers. The ones who did speak generally had little good to say about the state of the Eagles.

“We’ve got two weeks to get it together,” Smith said. “We’ve got to fix it in two weeks. Eleven wins, we’re not playing good football. As an offense, we’re not where we want to be. We got 11 wins and I’m not happy. What I want to do, what everybody else in here wants to do, where we want to be, we’re nowhere near it.”

At least there’s a reality check inside the locker room.

The 49ers, Eagles and Lions are all tied at 11-4. The 49ers are the No. 1 seed because they hold the NFC tiebreakers.

“We know we have better football in us,” Sirianni said. “To be 11-4 and still have better football left in you, that’s encouraging, but let’s go. We have to get there.”

WHAT’S WORKING

The Eagles shared the workload in the backfield and were rewarded with strong games from both D’Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell. Swift ran for 92 yards and a TD and Gainwell rushed for 41 yards. He even had three catches for 38 yards receiving.

Gainwell also ripped off a 22-yard run after Eagles fans chanted “Run the ball!” once the passing game stalled in the second half.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Ball security. Hurts threw another interception that was returned for a touchdown. Boston Scott and Olamide Zaccheaus crashed into each other on the second-half kickoff and lost the ball. The Giants had great field position and scored an easy touchdown.

STOCK UP

Britain Covey had a season-best 54-yard punt return in the first quarter and even had a 7-yard reception. He’s continued to be a bright spot for the Eagles this season. Sirianni openly campaigned for Covey to make the Pro Bowl.

For a team that needed a surge of excitement following the losing streak, Covey sure provided one.

“Who is returning the ball better than him? Who is a better punt returner in the NFL than Britain Covey,” Sirianni asked. “He has turned himself into a very special football player who’s a weapon for us.”

STOCK DOWN

Sirianni. He also argued with Jalen Carter when the rookie was called for an offside penalty when the Giants punted in the second quarter. The hothead look isn’t necessarily a good one — though Sirianni endears himself to Eagles fans when he barks at visiting fans.

“I get animated a lot. There are things that when mistakes are happening or trying to get the communication going, just a little bit of that. That happens throughout a game,” he said. “It’s going to be between players and players, coaches and players, coaches and coaches. But when you have the relationships that we have and the connections that we have, we’re able to move on quickly.”

INJURIES

The Eagles are still waiting for cornerback Darius Slay Jr. to return from knee surgery.

KEY NUMBER

11 — The Eagles have won 11 games in back-to-back years for the third time in franchise history (also in 1979-80 with Dick Vermeil and 2000-04 with Andy Reid).

NEXT STEPS

The spoils are still waiting for the Eagles with wins in their final two games.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL