There were some questionable decisions from Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni in the 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears. Still, one moment has brought mixed reviews from fans and the media alike.
In the fourth quarter, as A.J. Brown catches his second touchdown of the game from Jalen Hurts to make it 24-15, Sirianni decided to go for the two-point conversion. Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo calls a pass play, and after being flushed out of the pocket, Hurts throws an incompletion to the back of the end zone.
After the game, Sirianni explained why he wanted to go for two instead of taking the extra point.
“Obviously, we had to get one at one point. We had to get a two-point conversion at one point. I’ve done a lot of studies on that in my notes down nine. I’m always going to go for a two in that scenario, so I followed the plan that– again, I don’t try to wing anything in situational football. That’s what I wanted to do. That’s in my notes from my studies in the past, and that’s what we did.
“Now, the thought behind it is you want to know exactly what you need right there. If you go down seven, then obviously it’s a one-score game. If you go down eight, I know it’s a one-score game as well. That’s what we do in that scenario. I’ll always go back and look and reconsider things. Had three timeouts there to be able to potentially kick it deep there if we did get it. Obviously, we didn’t in that particular case, but at some point, you’re going to need it, and I always want to know early what I need going forward.”
Eagles fans okay with Sirianni’s decision?
This is a tough one because some can understand what he is doing with it. He wants to know early whether the Eagles need two touchdowns or if he can wait it out. That might affect whether he goes for an onside kick or kicks it off.
The flip side is that he should take the points, so he already knows that he is going to need a touchdown and a two-point conversion. This is the safest choice.
Let’s remember one thing, though: Eagles kicker Jake Elliott already missed an extra point earlier in the game. It would make some Eagles fans wonder whether Sirianni got cold feet and didn’t trust his struggling kicker.
The only problem with going for the two-point conversion early is the time on the clock. With 3:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, not getting the conversion meant the Eagles did not have enough time to get two possessions to win the game. At that point, after the miss, the Eagles pretty much accepted their fate.
Read more: Jalen Hurts refuses to change mindset with powerful admission after Eagles loss
This is one decision that will go back and forth with the fan base, but it’s another example of a Sirianni risk that won’t pay off.
