The Eagles’ offense loves when its on the field to finish games.
Give them the ball with the lead late in the game and they believe they have what it takes to run out the clock.
But that didn’t happen Monday night in Green Bay and it left Nick Sirianni with a difficult decision with 33 seconds remaining in a game the Eagles would hold on to win 10-7 over the Packers at chilly Lambeau Field.
Faced with a fourth-and-six from the Green Bay 35-yard line, Sirianni had three options.
A. Punt.
B. Try a field goal.
C. Go for it.
The right answer sure seemed to be A. on a night when the Eagles’ defense played its best game of the season, surrendering just seven points through the first 59 minutes and 27 seconds.
Why not give Braden Mann a chance to nail a punt inside the 10-yard line and force quarterback Jordan Love and the Green Bay offense to go at least 50 yards to get within field-goal range.
The Eagles went for option C.
Sirianni, known for being ultra aggressive, didn’t really explain why he decided to be insanely aggressive in this case. He just explained why he didn’t choose option B. — the field goal.
“We’re up three and I would like to have been in a little closer to kick a field goal,” Sirianni said. “I think it was into the wind on that one. I knew the kick would have had to be a little bit lower of a trajectory. I have a lot of faith in our offense. It didn’t work out on this one. We just didn’t get it. But the decision, I stand put on that decision, especially being up three. We would have ended the game if we got that and we have a lot of faith in our guys to do that.”
Hurts took the snap from center Brett Toth and lobbed the ball toward wide receiver A.J. Brown, who was tightly covered by cornerback Carrington Valentine. The pass fell incomplete and the Packers got the ball back with 27 seconds remaining.
“I think that shows the faith he has in us because, honestly, that’s who we are,” Brown said.
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