That 53-Yard Kickoff Return in London? Nick Sirianni Said He Lost the Eagles That Game

The Eagles just blew a two-point lead with under 10 seconds left against the Jaguars on Sunday, going from a likely win to a brutal loss in London, and head coach Nick Sirianni isn’t sugarcoating it one bit. Postgame, Sirianni straight-up owned the decision, telling reporters, “I lost us that game.” You gotta respect a coach who takes the blame, even when the mistake is this absolutely crushing.

The Kicking Decision That Blew It All Up

So, here’s how it went down: Eagles kicker Jake Elliott had just put Philly up 17-16 with a field goal, leaving only eight seconds on the clock. Most coaches in that situation would tell their kicker to just boot the ball into the end zone for a touchback, making the other team start at their own 25 and essentially ending the game. But not Sirianni and his staff. Instead, they opted to kick the ball in-bounds, believing they could make a tackle and run out the clock. Elliott himself confirmed it was the game plan, saying, “We decided to keep it in there and try to make a tackle,” and that it’s something they even practice.

What happened next was a disaster. Jaguars returner Ameer Abdullah found a seam, ripped off a massive 53-yard return, and just like that, he put strong-legged Jaguars kicker Cam Little well within field-goal range. With no timeouts left for Jacksonville, Little still had plenty of time to nail the winning kick. Just like that, the Eagles’ two-point lead evaporated into a last-second loss. It was a wild, truly unbelievable sequence, as the NFL’s own social media noted.

Coaching Malpractice? Fans and Analysts Rip Sirianni

You can bet the immediate reaction from NFL fans and analysts was swift and brutal. Many questioned Sirianni’s call, and honestly, who wouldn’t? Chase Daniel called it “complete mismanagement” and couldn’t comprehend why Sirianni wouldn’t just take the touchback. Brenden Deeg piled on, saying that with no Jaguars timeouts, “Not kicking the ball through the end zone is pure coaching malpractice. Sirianni, my God man.” The sentiment was clear: this was a bad, bad decision that directly cost his team the game.

It’s not the first time a coach has had to apologize for late-game kickoff strategy this season either. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer reportedly said sorry to his team after questionable clock management against the Ravens in Rio. Daniel was quick to point out both coaches messed up their late-game kickoffs, though in slightly different ways. Schottenheimer should’ve kicked it normally when the Ravens had a timeout, while Sirianni definitely should have kicked it through the end zone when the Jags had zero timeouts. The bottom line? Sirianni’s admission that “I lost us that game” is a heavy one, and it’s going to sting for Eagles fans, big time. It was a collapse, plain and simple, and the coach is taking the full hit.

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Originally reported by The Sporting News.