Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/338jadp2
Originally published Nov. 2, 2026
LANDOVER, Md. — Miracles happen. A miracle is what the Eagles will need to salvage this season.
They’re toast.
Done. Overbaked. Overbroiled. Burnt. Charred to a crisp.
A ruined prime cut of steak.
2026 is feeling like a head game that the Eagles are playing on themselves.
They have more talent than Washington, they have more accomplished coaches, they’ve won the division the last two years and won a Super Bowl to cap 2024.
Yet just 20 months after reaching the pinnacle of sports in New Orleans against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles lost ugly to the Commanders — one of the worst-coached teams in the league — 27-10 Sunday night to drop to 2-6 and last place in the godawful NFC East.
It was another embarrassment on national television in a season already beset by embarrassments.
Coach Nick Sirianni, despite all the carnage on the roster, is beginning to look like a dead man walking (figuratively, of course, regarding his current job).
The injuries have been unprecedented. Maybe Sirianni, who appears not to have slept in weeks, can’t pull off the feat of pulling this team out of the gutter. Maybe no coach could. Either way, the wheels have come off.
Here are five things learned from Sunday night’s sixth straight loss.
1. The offense is nonexistent
During the summer, back when there was hope, All-Pro left tackle Jordan Mailata called new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion an “evil genius” and “one of the smartest guys in the building.” He was effusive in his praise on more than one occasion.
In fact, he and what used to be the O-line bought into Mannion’s West Coast system. Many players on offense were genuinely excited about it.
The first couple of games showed flashes of what Mailata & Company were referencing. Even if not always executed, there was a clear plan, an overall direction, a narrative on offense, definitive concepts, well-designed plays.
Fast-forward to Sunday night in suburban Washington. The Eagles scored 10 points in the first quarter — and that was it. Nothing in the second, third or fourth.
The Birds managed just 268 total yards, including 91 rushing, and couldn’t sustain drives or capitalize on opportunities. A promising opening period gave way to another night of punts, penalties and turnovers.
“Until we coach better, until we are better with our detail as coaches, until our players play with better detail, then we’re going to see the same results,” Sirianni said. “That falls on me.”
Mannion has been unable to establish consistency. The Eagles’ attack isn’t merely struggling to score; it’s struggling to function.
2. McKee is part of the problem, but hardly all of it
Tanner McKee completed 23 of 34 passes for 212 yards and an interception. He was sacked five times, lost a fumble and finished with a 72.2 passer rating.
The strip sack came late in the third quarter, with the Eagles trailing 13-10 and threatening to score. It was the sort of mistake struggling teams cannot afford — like his late-game pick against the Cowboys a week earlier.
“I feel like I’ve got to have a better time clock and, we’ll see, possibly better pocket presence as well,” McKee said. “Just either tucking earlier or sliding, whatever it is. I’ll see it on film and I’ll get it fixed.”
McKee acknowledged the offense’s shortcomings but insisted the problems are correctable.
“It’s encouraging knowing that it is on us,” he said. “There’s nothing that defenses have done to stop us. We have the ability to go down and score and we need to execute.”
The offensive line offered little protection. Rookie right tackle Markel Bell struggled, and breakdowns in pass blocking repeatedly left McKee vulnerable.
3. Barkley is fighting his own body
Saquon Barkley scored on a 3-yard direct snap in the first quarter. Otherwise, there was little to celebrate.
He has been trying to make a go of it. But he finished with 30 yards on 13 carries, an average of 2.3 yards per attempt. He continues to battle hamstring and back problems, and the running game has become an afterthought rather than an identity.
The last time Barkley dealt with so many health issues was with the New York Giants — when they had a horrible O-line.
“It’s football,” Barkley said. “Everybody’s going through something. I’m not trying to make mine seem like it’s any more or less than anybody else.”
Then came the more revealing admission.
“I’m just frustrated because my mind is there, but with the hammy and all that stuff, my body’s not really where I need (it) to be right now.”
Without a healthy Barkley or Jalen Hurts, the Eagles are asking an undermanned offense to do what even their intact version wasn’t consistently accomplishing.
4. The defense still can’t stop the run
Vic Fangio’s defense showed some improvement, but the familiar cracks eventually appeared.
Washington gained 339 yards, including 135 rushing. That’s not absurd, but it’s also not great.
Jayden Daniels threw for 240 yards and the Commanders scored 27 unanswered points. Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith recorded sacks, while Andrew Mukuba forced a fumble recovered by Zack Baun.
But the Eagles have allowed at least 100 rushing yards in all of their eight games. Opponents keep wearing them down.
The defense can no longer be counted on to rescue an offense that can’t stay on the field. Both units are failing when it matters most.
5. Little mistakes have become enormous
“Being better with detail” is the latest refrain from the Eagles’ podium. Trailing 16-10 in the fourth quarter, the Birds reached Washington’s 13-yard line. Then came a comedy of errors without the comedy.
Bell’s false start ruined a fourth-down attempt. Mailata’s illegal formation penalty erased a successful field goal. Jake Elliott’s second attempt, from 41 yards, hit the left upright.
“I’ve got to know better and do better because, personally, I think that penalty kind of sucked the wind out of our momentum,” Mailata said.
Sirianni knows the situation is deteriorating.
“I know nobody feels sorry for us, that’s for damn sure,” he said.
Six straight losses. Last place in the NFC East. A season once filled with promise now looks like a long march toward January.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.