Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni took full responsibility for one of the most painful losses of the NFL season Sunday.
The Eagles appeared to have secured a 17-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London after Jake Elliott’s field goal gave Philadelphia the lead with eight seconds remaining, but a controversial kickoff decision opened the door for an unbelievable finish.
Sirianni owns kickoff decision
Rather than having Elliott kick the ball through the end zone for a touchback, the Eagles elected to keep the kickoff in play and force Jacksonville to return it. Ameer Abdullah broke loose for a 53-yard return, bringing the Jaguars all the way to the Philadelphia 39-yard line with one second remaining.
That gave Jacksonville kicker Cam Little an opportunity to attempt a 57-yard field goal. Little converted as time expired, giving the Jaguars a stunning 19-17 victory and sending the Eagles to their third consecutive loss.
After the game, Sirianni did not attempt to shift blame elsewhere. Instead, the Eagles head coach immediately accepted responsibility for the decision.
“I didn’t make the right decision, and I lost us that game. I told that to our guys. … I put that fully on me.”
Sirianni also acknowledged that he simply did not make the decision he should have made in that situation.
One decision turns Eagles’ win into crushing loss
The decision is especially difficult to defend because Philadelphia only needed to prevent Jacksonville from getting into realistic field-goal range with eight seconds remaining. A touchback would have forced the Jaguars to start from their own 30-yard line, leaving Trevor Lawrence and the offense with essentially no opportunity to run another play.
Instead, the return completely changed the situation.
Abdullah’s 53-yard return left Little with a difficult but manageable 57-yard attempt. The Jaguars kicker delivered, while the Eagles watched a victory disappear almost immediately after taking the lead.
The loss drops Philadelphia to 2-3 after opening the season 2-0, while Jacksonville improves to 4-1.
Sirianni’s willingness to take responsibility will not erase the decision, but the Eagles now have to move forward from one of the most devastating endings of his tenure. With Philadelphia facing its third straight defeat, the pressure surrounding the team is only going to increase heading into Week 6.
Subscribe FREE for the latest content on the DrRoto YouTube Channel
