### Eagles Coach Admits Fault Amid Troubling Losses

The Philadelphia Eagles faced a harsh defeat which has left many questioning the readiness and strategy of the team. Head coach Nick Sirianni openly admitted his team's lack of preparation, saying, "We obviously didn't start well, down 24-0 to start things off. Obviously, no excuse for that. We didn't come out [well]. We didn't coach well enough and we didn't play well enough."

Sirianni emphasized the need for improvement in fundamentals. "Our fundamentals weren't what we needed it to be. We'll make sure we're working hard on that. Bye week is coming at a good time. We've got to get our bodies right and we've got to make some changes as far as what's going on fundamentally."

Defensive issues were also a focal point, with Sirianni addressing early game mistakes. "Early on in the game, I thought we had some missed tackles, thought we had a couple drops. Those are going to stop drives and those are going to extend drives, and that's where it's going to have to start with fundamentals." The coach further added that evaluating the positions he puts his players in would be crucial moving forward.

The statistics from the game painted a grim picture. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed eight plays of at least 10 yards just in the first quarter and ended the game with 22. In stark contrast, the Eagles could muster only four. The Bucs out-gained the Eagles by 218 yards, creating the widest yardage gap the team has experienced in six years. Additionally, the Bucs held a staggering 12 ½-minute advantage in time of possession and sacked quarterback Jalen Hurts six times.

Perhaps most troubling is the pattern of significant losses. Over their last 11 games, the Eagles have lost by 17 or more points five times. These dismal performances include a 42-19 defeat to the 49ers, a 33-13 loss to the Cowboys, a 27-10 setback to the Giants, a 32-98 playoff defeat to the Bucs, and a recent 33-16 loss. The last time the Eagles had a similar string of heavy losses was in 1998, a season that ended with a 3-13 record and cost Ray Rhodes his job, leading to the hiring of Andy Reid.

Currently, the Eagles have a 3-8 record in their last 11 games, being outscored by an average of 28.2 to 19.8. Reflecting on their latest defeat, Sirianni acknowledged, "We didn't play good enough offensively or defensively and we didn't coach well enough on either side. When the shift of time of possession is what it was in that first half (20:14 to 9:46), we didn't do a good enough job on offense of giving our defense a rest... Again, that all starts with me."

Despite the disappointing loss, the Eagles maintain a 2-2 record. Their upcoming schedule after the bye week looks more favorable, as their next four opponents collectively hold a 3-13 record. Only one of their next nine opponents, the Washington team, currently boasts a winning record. Sirianni concluded, "All that matters is that these guys continue to get better and us as coaches get better... We're sitting at 2-2 going into the bye week and all we can do is improve. And that's all we're going to try to do for this upcoming week."