The Philadelphia Eagles have powered into the playoffs for the fifth straight time under head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts. It’s a huge achievement, but with just two regular-season games left, big questions are bubbling up. The biggest one on everyone’s mind: Given everything at hand, will the starters, including Hurts, suit up against the Bills in Week 17?

“Yeah, this is a week that we have to get better. This is an opportunity for us to go out there,” Sirianni said on 94 WIP on starters playing this week. “We’ve been on short week after short week. We’re finally on a normal week as far as our rest goes. So this is a really important week for us, practice-wise, game-wise, to go and get better, and we’ll see how everything plays itself out. But really important week for us to improve as a football team.”

Sirianni is not tipping his hand on resting Hurts or the starters just yet. The Eagles are on a two-game win streak right now, which feels good. But let’s be real: It’s more about the weak teams they’ve faced than some massive turnaround.

In Week 15, they shut out the Raiders, who only have two wins this season. Then in Week 16, they beat the 4-11 Commanders. This Bills matchup is Philly’s real test to prove they’re still the Super Bowl champs from last year. It gets even better with right tackle Lane Johnson and defensive tackle Jalen Carter expected back this week.

That said, Sirianni nailed it when he mentioned the rest issue. The Eagles haven’t caught many breaks this season. Take Week 5: They lost to the Broncos, then had just three days’ rest before dropping another to the Giants in Week 6. Things flipped after that. Philly got some rest days and won both games in Weeks 7 and 8. It’s a clear pattern. Short rest means the team scrambles and loses, like in Week 13 against the Bears, with only four days to recover. 

Rest isn’t the only drag on the Eagles, though. A chunk of the blame lands on offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. The offensive line has been way too predictable this year. Johnson called it out in October, saying they need “a little bit more variety” after a loss to the Giants. The problem is, Philly rushes right when defenses expect it, killing their momentum. Last season under Kellen Moore, the Eagles rushed for over 3,000 yards, but this year with Patullo, they barely rushed for 1,800+. 

And it doesn’t help that Hurts is struggling big-time this season. The QB isn’t playing like an MVP anymore. His completion percentage dipped from over 68% to just 65.8%. And who can forget that nightmare against the Chargers, where Hurts threw an interception and fumbled on the same play, finishing with four picks and a lost fumble. Whispers are growing that history might repeat itself, with Hurts getting the Carson Wentz treatment and a ticket out of town. 

But, Sirianni has publicly pushed back on that noise, calling any quarterback controversy “ridiculous” and reiterating that Hurts remains his unquestioned starter. “I know every time I go out on that field with Jalen Hurts as our quarterback, we have a chance to win the game,” Sirianni said. “That’s something that’s been proven. We’ve won a lot, a lot of football games.” Back then, he also stressed that wins and losses are shared across the entire roster, not pinned on one player.

That broader context matters, because Philadelphia’s offensive issues extend beyond the quarterback. Injuries and shuffling along the line have disrupted the run game, while the passing attack has stalled despite elite weapons like A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. Hurts, in particular, has looked hesitant, holding the ball well beyond the usual rhythm of the offense, searching for the perfect read instead of trusting his first window. What once felt like a strength has recently slowed everything down.

Ironically, the version of Hurts the Eagles need most still shows up when urgency forces the issue. In late-game, up-tempo situations, he’s decisive and accurate, delivering the ball with conviction and turning short completions into chunk gains. That contrast has only added to the frustration, because it shows what the offense can be, rather than what it has been consistently.

Now, this Week 17 clash at Highmark Stadium is going to be a tough matchup. The Bills are 16-1 there since early 2024 and 6-1 at home this season. The Eagles are solid on the road at 5-3, though. Head-to-head, Buffalo is 6-9 against Philly in the regular season, and 4-4 at home versus the Eagles. Stakes feel high even if Philly is locked in. 

So, for Philly, this game is prime practice for postseason vibes while chasing that win streak. But beyond the rest woes, predictability, and Hurts’ dips, Sirianni has another headache: the kicker spot.

Nick Sirianni on Jake Elliott’s slump this season

Jake Elliott, the veteran placekicker, had a rough outing against the Commanders. He attempted four field goals and missed them all, though only two count as official misses. Still, head coach Sirianni says he’s sticking with Elliott, no changes coming.

“I’ve seen Jake get himself out of slumps before. We saw it last year. He was in a little bit of a slump last year, got himself out under tough circumstances,” said Sirianni. “And so, I have a lot of faith in Jake, and that’s not blind faith…and every player goes through ups and downs in a season…And so, nobody wants to make those kicks more than Jake does. And he has a great process. I got a ton of faith in him, a ton of confidence in him.”

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Elliott was a Pro Bowler after the 2023 season, nailing over 93% of his field goals. But last season, that impressive mark dropped all the way to 77.8%, and this year, it’s even shakier at just 70.8%. And the main culprit seems to be his struggles on those long-range kicks from 50 yards and beyond.

Last season, he lined up for seven field goals from 50-plus yards but could only convert one of them. This season, he’s attempted eight from that distance and made only four. Those missed kicks are hurting badly, no doubt about it.

Still, Sirianni has shown real faith in his squad through all this, but questions loom about his future, Hurts’ role, and the team’s direction. Right now, though, winning against Buffalo matters most. It’s the ultimate test of whether Philly can keep the streak alive and silence the doubters.