On Sunday, January 11, 2026, the 49ers were set to play the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles were heavy favourites to win the game because just the year before, with the same core of players, they hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. However, this game went differently; the offense of the Philadelphia Eagles looked sluggish, and their quarterback, Jalen Hurts, whose contract features a 5-year $255 million deal, had only 168 yards with a 57.1% completion percentage. A.J. Brown cannot be let off the hook easily, either, as he dropped four key passes and, at one point, got into a heated sideline argument with the Head Coach of the Eagles, Nick Sirianni, which resulted in security having to break the two apart. The Eagles’ defense, which many fans thought was going to be the backbone of their game, proved to be absolutely awful as they looked dazed, unlike a defense that would terrify its opponents.
Now, to put some context into this, the 49ers had an amazing season, finishing with the 3rd seed in the NFC West, but were cursed by injuries that took out many of their best-performing players. They even lost their most valuable player in tight end, George Kittle, with a torn achilles. This coincides with the defensive injuries of star players Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. But when it came down to the moments that mattered most, Brock Purdy, QB for the San Francisco 49ers, stepped up to help his team during a tough battle. The 49ers won the Wild Card Game 23-19, and that is where the drama for the Eagles begins.
Immediately after the game concluded, there was no comment from A.J. Brown as he did not answer any media questions and opted to talk to teammates. Along with this, Kevin Patullo, the Offensive Coordinator, was replaced by the Eagles as of 3:41 pm on January 13, 2026. The blame by Eagles fans for this loss was often pointed at both A.J. Brown and Kevin Patullo.
Mendham sophomore and Eagles fan, Will Madinabeitia, was asked about his thoughts on this game and the future of the Eagles. He was optimistic, stating, “I believe that they underperformed and had much more potential than how they played. I think they’ll come back much stronger next year.” And when he was asked about whom on the Eagles staff and roster was to blame, he then answered, “I believe it was a mix of both, but mainly the offensive coordinator is to blame because of his awful calls like running the ball on 2nd and 18.”
Honestly, in looking at this from afar, there is nobody to directly point the blame at. This was an all-around team failure. The team itself was not playing up to the standards that they were set to follow, and the team needed an offensive coordinator who could accompany a great offensive team without hindering their ability to have great performances and to shine on the field. In addition, Kevin Patullo just could not get the job done and thus shoulders some of the blame for this loss.
As of January 29th, the Eagles have announced they have hired Sean Mannion as the new offensive coordinator. We will have to see his impact on the roster and playing calling for the season ahead.
