Eagles’ Offensive Struggles Put Mannion Under Pressure

Philadelphia’s offense managed no points for the final 49 minutes and 27 seconds of its 27-10 defeat at Washington on November 1. The loss extended the Eagles’ slide to six straight games and left them with a 2-6 record, their poorest start since 1999.

The offense is averaging 17.1 points and 265.3 yards per game. Its 137 points rank third-lowest in the NFL, while its scoring average is the lowest for an Eagles team since 2012. Injuries have affected the team, but the offense had also struggled before those setbacks.

At a news conference on November 3, Mannion said he examines his own teaching, preparation and play-calling when trying to address communication problems. He said the team had improved in that area two weeks earlier, but still needed to be sharper after the Washington game.

Mannion, 34, took over as coordinator after Kevin Patullo’s one-season tenure. The offense was expected to use a wide-zone approach, but it has appeared predictable to opponents and at times unclear to Philadelphia’s players.

Head coach Nick Sirianni did not commit after the loss to making a change, saying he was not focused on that question. The next day, he said he and Mannion would work to turn the season around. Mannion said he tries to set aside emotion and concentrate on making decisions that give players the best chance to succeed.