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Eagles

Nick Sirianni’s 4th Down Decision Making Was Bad

Matt Schultz

By Matt Schultz

Published:

Aug 15, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni watches his team play against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Every part of the Eagles’ loss to the Bears on Monday night was bad. The offense, the defense, the run game, the screen game, the refs/concussion protocol — all of it. But that’s not to say that every awful moment of bad football was equal across the board. Some sequences were way more infuriating than others, and chief among them was Nick Siranni deciding not to go for it on this 4th and 1:

Late in the third quarter, down 20-7, need a yard and a half to keep the drive alive. I was certain in the moment the Birds were going for it, and couldn’t believe what I was watching as the play clock ticked down and it became clear Jalen Hurts was trying to draw the Bears offside. In real time, it felt like the Eagles needed this drive to end with points on the board to stay in the game.

And, as the internet pointed out pretty much the moment the punting team took the field, that was basically true:

Bad stuff! Bad coaching! What was Nick thinking here? What was he seeing that the rest of us weren’t? Or is that giving him too much credit? Is Nick actually just winging it on fourth downs and going with his gut on when he feels like he should go for it?

Nick’s decision on the very next drive — on a way tougher 4th and 5 — certainly makes it seem like it:

Was Jalen’s throw truly awful? Yes. Does it appear as though Jalen straight-up didn’t see TJ Edwards standing there — pretty much standing still, not even ducking or running or anything — as he softly threw the ball directly at him? Sure. Was it one of the weirdest-looking, accidentally-hit-the-wrong-button-in-Madden-ass interceptions I’ve seen in a while? It was, yeah.

But none of that is the point in this blog. My concern in this one is Nick’s choice to go for it when the odds were considerably lower to convert than they were on the 4th and 1. It was a very bad mistake, flat-out, and Nick agrees:

“You know, as I look back at that, I probably — I should’ve went for it there. Didn’t like that decision.”

Not good.

Matt Schultz
Matt Schultz

Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com