Former Eagles CB Asante Samuel Blames Coach Sirianni for London Loss

Former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel has sharply criticized Head Coach Nick Sirianni, attributing the team's 19-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London directly to Sirianni's coaching decisions. The pivotal moment, according to Samuel, occurred in the final seconds of the game when the Eagles opted not to execute a squib kick after taking a 17-16 lead.

Speaking on "The Say What Needs To Be Said" show, Samuel stated, "You lost the game for your team." He elaborated that a squib kick is a standard procedure in such situations and that Sirianni's failure to call for it was a critical error. Samuel suggested Sirianni had a "lapse in his brain" during crunch time, letting the team down despite their efforts.

The Eagles were without key players Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith due to hamstring injuries. They had taken the lead with Jake Elliott's 48-yard field goal with only eight seconds remaining. However, the Jaguars' Ameer Abdullah returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards, setting up Cam Little's game-winning 57-yard field goal as time expired.

Sirianni took responsibility for the loss immediately after the game, telling reporters, "I didn't make the right decision and I lost us that game." He acknowledged that the team fought hard and that his decision cost them the victory.

When asked about the decision-making on the final kickoff, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts indicated that he focuses on executing plays called by the coaching staff and that game management decisions are not his responsibility. He expressed that while he sometimes questions if he should have intervened, he ultimately commits to the play call.

Sirianni, however, maintained that the quarterback's role is to execute the called plays, not to make them. "Jalen’s playing... We’re coaching and calling the plays, and Jalen’s got to go execute what we call in that moment, 100 percent," Sirianni said. "We’re not asking him to make play calls in that scenario."

The loss dropped the Eagles to a 2-3 record, while the Jaguars extended their winning streak to three games.