The Philadelphia Eagles won their ninth straight game on Sunday to improve to 11-2 for the season. Despite the victory, however, Eagles fans left the game feeling potentially worse about their team. Before the game, the Eagles were 13.5-point favorites over the Panthers and had a deeply unconvincing performance at home.
One of the biggest causes for concern from the game was kicker Jake Elliot. After missing a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter, Elliott is now 0/5 in attempts over 50 yards this season. The worst part is the fact that head coach Nick Sirianni was scared to kick a field goal late in the fourth quarter and punted on a fourth-and-8 from the Panthers' 36-yard line.
It is a major problem when your kicker starts negatively impacting your coach's playcalling. Sirianni, however, didn't seem too bothered about Elliott's struggles, per PHLY's Zach Berman. Sirianni reiterated his confidence in Elliott and denied the existence of a kicking problem.
Nick Sirianni on Jake Elliott: "I have a lot of confidence in Jake. ...He's made a lot of huge kicks here recently and in the past. So confidence is very high with Jake, because I know who he is and I've seen who he can be." pic.twitter.com/dNiIoS7z5A
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) December 9, 2024
This is in line with what Sirianni said after the game on Sunday. He said that the wind was a huge factor in Elliott's miss and his decision not to kick a field goal in the fourth quarter. He pointed to punter Braden Mann's successes in pinning opponents deep for his decision.
Sirianni is clearly going out of his way to protect a veteran that he trusts. He may have a point. Between 2021 and 2023, Elliott was one of the best kickers in the game, especially from long distance. He was 15/17 in attempts over 50 yards in that span. Just last season, he had a 93.8% conversion rate on field goals, even converting a 61-yarder.
Elliott signed a four-year, $24 million contract extension with the Eagles in the 2024 offseason. If his struggles continue, the Eagles may have to find another solution, but for now, it's still Elliott's job to lose.
More Eagles news and rumors: