Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl defense ends ugly as AJ Brown avoids media after Nick Sirianni confrontation | NFL News

The Philadelphia Eagles gave up their right to be known as the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday night. In many ways, that would sum up the story of their season.

A season in which their offense has consistently been one of the worst units in the league under Kevin Patullo, a season in which AJ Brown has seemingly been unhappy, a season that could have been over before now without Vic Fangio’s defense allowing them to stay in games.

Fangio’s toughness rallied again Sunday night, but their lack of punch on the other side of the ball ultimately proved decisive in a 23-19 loss to the injury-depleted San Francisco 49ers.

The Eagles led 13-10 at halftime after two Dallas Goedert touchdowns, before mustering just 36 yards on 16 plays in the third quarter and managing just two field goals in the second half.

Jalen Hurts, limited to 168 yards through the air, had the ball at the 49ers’ 20-yard line with 43 seconds left on their final possession, but saw his fourth-and-11 pass intended for Goedert broken up as the Eagles’ season ended.

“I just didn’t make the play,” Hurts said. “I own it. I own everything.”

Brown had and had not been in the thick of the action. Eagles wide receiver and head coach Nick Sirianni were separated late in the first half after a heated face-to-face exchange on the sideline resulting from the head coach running to yell at Brown for being slow to get off the field after an incomplete third down.

It was the latest installment in a bizarre campaign for Brown, who has lamented his lack of offensive involvement multiple times this season, including during a livestream in which he encouraged Fantasy Football players to cut him from their teams. Brown declined to speak to reporters after the game.

“I think he knows how I feel about him,” Sirianni said of his confrontation with Brown. “I have a special relationship with him. We’ve probably experienced every emotion you can experience together.

“We laughed together. We cried together. We yelled at each other. We’re both emotional. I was trying to get him off the field, and that happens in this game, but I love him.”

Brown would also finish the game with just three catches on seven targets for 25 yards, after being guilty of a career-high two drops that included a routine grab on third-and-5 with just over two minutes left. Hurts would eventually convert on fourth down with a completion to Goedert, before failing to turn the drive into points as the Eagles’ season ended.

“He has the best hands I’ve ever seen,” Sirianni said in defense of his catcher. “The way he catches the ball, the number of different types of catches he makes. When you get as many targets as he does, you’re going to have some drops. I know he’s going to get after that.”

The Eagles had possession for more than 10 minutes more than the 49ers, while recording 14 more plays than their counterparts, and yet were outscored 361-307 by an offense that lost star tight end George Kittle and was without Ricky Pearsall before relying on an unlikely hero in Demarcus Robinson. Christian McCaffrey was also there to shoulder the workload with over 100 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns as the 49ers edged the Eagles en route to the divisional round.

Twice Quinyon Mitchell intercepted Brock Purdy, the first in favorable field position at the Eagles’ 48 and the second at their 38; Hurts and Co would turn them into just three points.

Saquon Barkley finished with 106 rushing yards, but was held to just 35 in the second half as the familiar regression after the interval haunted the Eagles offense once again.

“It’s a common theme for us this year,” Barkley said. “We didn’t do a good enough job of playing complete football. Putting two halves together. Sometimes you expect to get to that moment, and you’ll find out.”

The Eagles have lost four games in which they entered the fourth quarter with a lead this season, while being outscored 137-91 in the final period, including Sunday’s loss.

The loss raises more questions about the future of offensive coordinator Patullo, whose job security has been under constant scrutiny in her first year since succeeding Kellen Moore in the role.

His offense, criticized for conservative play, finished the regular season ranked 24th in total yards, 23rd in passing, 18th in rushing, and 19th in scoring. Kyle Shanahan had made sure to provide a contrasting light when he composed a tricky play ending with Jauan Jennings throwing a 29-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey to put the 49ers ahead early in the fourth quarter.

“There will be time to evaluate everyone’s performance,” Sirianni said. “Right now I’m thinking about all of our guys in the locker room, all the players, all the coaches, the front office, everyone who works so hard, the fans who come out to support us, Mr.[President/GMJeffrey)LurieI’mthinkingaboutallofusandtherewillbetimetoevaluateeverythingthat’sgoingtohappen”[chairman/chiefexecutiveJeffrey)LurieIfeelforallofusallofthemandthere’llbetimetoevaluateeverythingcomingup”[président/directeurgénéralJeffrey)LurieJepenseànoustousàtousetilyauraletempsd’évaluertoutcequivasepasser”[chairman/chiefexecutiveJeffrey)LurieIfeelforallofusallofthemandthere’llbetimetoevaluateeverythingcomingup”

The Eagles had threatened their own chapter of dominance when they dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans last February. Hurts was in his element on the biggest stage leading a star-studded offense deemed capable of flipping the switch at a moment’s notice, such was his talent level, while Fangio’s defense was full of loyal young game destroyers, ready to argue forever.

The ecstasy, however, would eventually come to a demoralizing conclusion as the Lombardi Trophy headed to new owners. The autopsy awaits.

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