Extra Points: Eagles drop ball on New Years Eve

By DAVID WEINBERG

Eagles fans didn’t have to go New York’s Times Square to see a ball drop on New Year’s Eve.  The Birds also dropped the ball in a shocking, 35-31 loss to lowly Arizona at Lincoln Financial Field.

One fan in particular summed up the crowd’s frustration.

Late in the fourth quarter, with the game tied 28-28, coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson called for a confounding series of plays – two runs from quarterback Jalen Hurts and a screen pass to running back Kenneth Gainwell – that produced 5 yards.

FOX TV cameras scanned the Linc and settled on a woman sporting a Kelly green No. 62 Jason Kelce jersey and an Eagles’ ski cap.  She glared out onto the field, shouting, “What the hell are you doing?” as the offense trudged to the sideline.  Wide receiver A.J. Brown seemed to agree, shaking his head.

The question could also be aimed at the defense, which aside from rookie safety Sydney Brown’s electric, 99-yard pick six, was horrendous.  The Cards gained a whopping 449 yards, including 221 on the ground.  Running back James Conner rushed for 128 yards and a TD on 26 carries.

After the game, an angry, disappointed crowd filed out of the stadium, their New Year’s Eve at least temporarily ruined by watching one of the most embarrassing Eagles’ performances in at least 20 years.

Not everyone let it ruin their holiday.  Longtime Eagles fans Tom Shagren and Frank “Tater” Smith didn’t let the loss keep them from enjoying a fun, festive New Year’s Eve dinner with yours truly and friends at the Lobster House in Cape May.  It was painful to watch, they said, but nothing that a special “Lobster House Coffee” couldn’t cure.

They may wind up ordering another cocktail or two in the coming weeks, considering the way their favorite team is currently playing.  Once the belle of the NFL ball at 10-1, the Eagles are 1-4 in their last five games and are 11-5 entering the regular-season finale at the Meadowlands against the Giants.

Homefield advantage for the NFC playoffs belongs to the 49ers and the Cowboys hold the tiebreaker edge over the Eagles in the NFC East thanks to Dallas owning a better Conference record.  The Eagles must now beat the Giants and hope the Cowboys lose to the Commanders to win the division.  Otherwise, they will be on the road for the first round of the playoffs as a wildcard at either Tampa Bay or New Orleans.

Given the recent struggles and seeming lack of chemistry, don’t be surprised if Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and General Manager Howie Roseman take a long, hard look at the coaching staff, including Sirianni, in the offseason.

Such a possibility seemed preposterous a month ago, but things are no longer hunky-dory down at the NovaCare Complex.  A first-round playoff exit would prompt Lurie and company to ask the same question offered by that Eagles’ fan last Sunday.

“What the hell are you doing?”