For the Eagles, Sunday night’s 27-10 loss in Washington may have hit rock bottom. Yet, unfortunately for them, their hole may get deeper.

Eagles’ fans could have easily been at loss for words, or be ready to recite a diatribe about the plight of their team.

A pair of local football coaches, a fan, and a sports editor have plenty to share about the Eagles’ six-game losing streak and their freefalling ascent that is traveling downward as fast or faster than a California landslide.

Former Northwestern longtime and legendary coach Bob Mitchell, who compiled an overall 177-130-1 record in 28 seasons and won three district 11 titles, along with Marian head coach and athletic director Billy O’Gurek — two regulars on the panel — will be joined by Lehighton resident and rabid Eagles’ fans Jeff Hager and Times News sports editor Patrick Matsinko, as they will all share their views and opinions on four Eagles’ issues in this week’s Eagles’ Roundtable.

This week, the panel takes a look at quarterback Tanner McKee, the ongoing offensive line issue, the state of the sagging defense, and any potential positives along a trail laced with plenty of potholes.

Did McKee’s stock drop after his showing? Is it time for backup Joe Milton?

Mitchell -” I have no idea what is going on with this team. The expectations were so high at the beginning of the season. Now we are all scratching our heads.

I don’t know if benching McKee solves anything. The problem is greater than QB position. The system plays a role; the injuries play a role. The offense line plays a role. Jordan Mailata contends that it’s a communication problem.”

O’Gurek - “I don’t think Sunday night changed anything with regard to his stock as a player. I think he has shown to be a below-average backup quarterback in a tough spot dealing with all the changes on the offensive line and injuries to the skill players. I would give him another game or two and see if he improves before going to Milton. At this point, you are deciding if he can continue to be a serviceable backup in the future.”

Hager - This is a tough one. Yes, McKee’s stock has definitely dropped, however, and this is a BIG HOWEVER, a lot of it is out of his control. The offensive line is horrible so, to a large degree, it doesn’t matter who is out there at quarterback, they’re not going to have any time to throw, there will still be ZERO running game, and the top two receivers are hurt. I blame a large part of this on the coaching, especially the OC and the O-line coach. These problems have been very evident since the first game and it’s only gotten worse. I think for now you leave McKee in to see what he can do, maybe try to increase his trade value if he has a few decent showings. The problem at quarterback is just a very small part of a very large train wreck.”

Matsinko - “I think McKee’s stock has definitely taken a hit, but I’m not ready to put all the blame on him. He’s playing behind a struggling offensive line, dealing with injuries around him and trying to lead an offense that hasn’t found much consistency. That said, the turnovers and lack of awareness in the pocket are concerning. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing what Milton can do, especially if the losses continue to pile up. At 2-6, the Eagles might as well find out what they have. But I don’t think changing quarterbacks is suddenly going to fix everything that’s wrong with this offense.”

How do you rate the offensive line’s performance?

Mitchell - “(Offensive coordinator) Sean Mannion may not be ready for prime time. The amount of pressure that teams are creating at the line of scrimmage is baffling the Eagles, and the responsibility falls on new line coach Chris Kuper.”

O’Gurek - They are playing some new faces but too many times there are defenders left unblocked. (Markel) Bell really struggled with the pass rush and they were unable to run the ball with any success. The way the season is going, games will be auditions for roles in the future so Kendall, Lampkin, Bell, etc. will continue to get chances to improve. Hopefully, the veterans Mailata and (Landon) Dickerson can help the group’s improvement.”

Hager - “That’s an easy one: They are OFFENSIVE! They stink! They can’t pass-block and can’t run-block. Those are two pretty important requirements for an NFL offensive lineman, and it appears that on every play, three or four of them are not on the same page. Sometimes, it’s all five of them. This is as bad as an offensive line as I’ve seen in a very long time. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we are seeing this type of horrible play right after (Jeff) Stoudtland was let go as the O-line coach.”

Matsinko - “I’d give them a D, and even that might be generous. Five sacks allowed, very little room to run and costly penalties at critical moments. That’s not what we’ve come to expect from an Eagles offensive line. Injuries and personnel changes have certainly played a role, but there are too many breakdowns in protection and communication. The offensive line used to be one of this team’s biggest strengths. Right now, it’s one of its biggest concerns, and it’s making life difficult for everyone else on offense.”

Why does the Eagles’ defense always seem to collapse after halftime? Are they out of shape?

Mitchell - “The defense problems are off the charts. Physical conditioning may be an issue. But (defensive coordinator) Vic (Fangio) may be being out coached. If so, that’s a shocker.”

O’Gurek - “I don’t believe it’s a conditioning issue. For so long the Eagles won on the line of scrimmage and that helped the other levels of the defense. This year, the defensive line has been one of the biggest disappointments. (Jalen) Carter and (Jordan) Davis got big contracts, they traded for and signed (Jonathan) Greenard. None of them have performed up to expectations. No pass rush affects the coverage. It’s been a total breakdown.”

Hager - “I think part of this is that they just don’t have some of the same quality players that they’ve had the past two years. I also think part of it is their attitude. When you play on a defense that needs to hold opponents to under 10 points a game just to be competitive because your offense absolutely stinks and can’t score points, that poses a huge mental hurdle. After halftime it certainly looks like the defense starts giving up because they know the offense will not score enough points to win. It’s an impossible position for them to be in and remain positive and be successful.”

Matsinko - “I’m not convinced conditioning is the biggest issue. I think it’s a combination of poor adjustments, inconsistent execution and an offense that isn’t doing the defense many favors. When you’re constantly putting your defense back on the field without giving it much of a cushion, eventually those mistakes start catching up with you. But the coaching staff deserves some criticism, too. Other teams seem to find ways to exploit Philadelphia’s weaknesses as games progress, and the Eagles haven’t consistently had an answer. At some point, that becomes a preparation and coaching issue, not just a question of effort or conditioning.”

Were there any positives or are there?

Mitchell - “I didn’t see much in the first half to be excited about. From what I have read it didn’t get any better in the second half.”

O’Gurek - “It was tough to find any. This is shaping up to be a lost year. I imagine there will be some moves with the trade deadline approaching. Time for Eagles fans to start scouting the top draft prospects.”

Hager - “There are two. First, we have one of, if not the best punter in the NFL. And second, I’m pretty positive that it’s going to be time for a coaching change either during the bye week or as soon as the season is over. Nick Sirianni was blessed with an incredible roster (especially the O-line and D-line) for his first few seasons, along with great coordinators and some incredible skill players. This roster was loaded with talent. Now that our roster has been decimated by injuries, coaching is now more important than ever, and he’s just not getting it done. Plus, his OC and new O-line coach are over their heads. They’re drowning. So is (Nick) Sirianni. There have been plenty of other teams that have been decimated by injuries over the years (the 49ers over the past few years) that still show up, play hard, and win. Maybe they don’t win every game, but they win more than they lose and at least they are competitive. The Eagles are just getting beat in every facet of the game and they are in no way competitive. They are getting very hard to watch.”

Matsinko - “There weren’t many, but Andrew Mukaba’s performance was encouraging, particularly the forced fumble that helped set up Philadelphia’s touchdown. Makai Lemon also continues to show some promise, and it was good to see Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith get to the quarterback. The Eagles actually started the game with some energy and built a 10-0 lead. The problem is that none of it lasted. I think the biggest frustration is that you can still see flashes of talent on this roster, but they haven’t been able to put together anything resembling a complete game. At 2-6, moral victories aren’t going to mean much.”

My thoughts: “The Eagles looked good in the first half when they had a 10-0 lead. But McKee has proven to be a backup and did a serviceable job.

The offensive line got worse over time and Bell was a turnstile at times. The defense has been breaking down consistently in the second halves of games, and most times they look lethargic.

It’s beginning to like coaching on a few fronts, and GM Howie Roseman isn’t free of blame.”

Thanks to coaches Mitchell and O’Gurek, Jeff Hager, and bossman Patrick Matsinko for sharing their thoughts this week.

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