Eagles coach Sirianni takes responsibility for final kickoff call in loss to Jaguars
Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni said his decision to kick off normally with eight seconds left cost the Eagles a 19-17 defeat to Jacksonville, acknowledging the error to his players.
Philadelphia fell 19-17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London after a last-second field goal gave the Eagles a chance to run out the clock. With eight seconds remaining, the Eagles chose to kick the ball to return specialist Ameer Abdullah instead of kicking it out of bounds. Abdullah returned the kickoff 53 yards, setting up the Jaguars for a game-winning field goal as time expired.
After the game, head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about the decision. He said he made the wrong call and accepted full responsibility.
"I didn't make the right decision and I lost us that game. That's what I said to our guys. What hurts is that the guys fought so hard, and then I don't make the decision that I should make at the end of the game and I cost us that game and I put that fully on me."
Quarterback Jalen Hurts declined to comment on the clock-management aspect, noting it was not his responsibility. Kicker Jake Elliott confirmed he was instructed to kick the ball normally.
Analysts noted that kicking the ball out of bounds would have placed Jacksonville at its own 40-yard line with no timeouts, forcing the Jaguars to gain significant yardage before attempting a field goal. The loss comes as the Eagles, now 2-3, try to rebound from recent defeats and injuries to key players such as DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley, as well as roster changes on the offensive line.