Hugh Douglas, Former Eagles and Falcons Defensive End

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Late payment may negatively impact your credit score. Results may vary. The Eagles go from being 10 and 1 to finishing one and six down the stretch. And as we enter the second round to the playoffs, the Eagles are no longer participating in the postseason after getting stomped out last night and embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let's welcome in a Philadelphia Eagles legend, and that is Hugh Douglas, who now does a great job hosting mid days on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Hugh, first off, appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this on a busy day. What's shaking?

How are you? You know, Zach, you heard me when you said demise, but then when you hit me with stomped out, that hurt even worse than demise. Yeah, well, that was the Buccaneers bus last night. They saw the Eagles lying down and they drove right over them and then backed it up. That was that was putrid. And that's my biggest problem with this Eagles team, Hugh. They showed no heart.

They showed no fight. And I know it's very easy to throw out this term, but it just felt like they quit. Oh, Zach, when you hit me with those words, man, it just as a former Philadelphia, it hurts so bad to hear you say it, but I have no argument for it, man. You know, I talked to a lot of my old teammates, man, and my phone was ringing off the hook last night with guys asking me because they know I'm here. What's going on with this football team?

And I had no answers for him. So to hear you say it, and just put it in reality, man, it just hurts so bad, but but I can't argue with that. There's a lot of reasons why you go from ten and one to finish in the season one and six. What's the one thing you being someone that played with so much passion and energy and toughness that when you look at both sides of the ball, what's the one thing in particular that still just makes you mad with what transpired with this team down the stretch? Well, it's it's was something underlying that was going on with this squad that that was never hashed out. And I said that weeks ago, there's something going on with this squad that nobody's really talking about. Everybody's kind of talking over. You can even hear it in the messaging that the players had because nobody was on the same page. The one thing that you know when a team is in lockstep with one another from the head coach down to the players, everybody has kind of the same messaging.

You've heard is that when guys coaches say one thing in a meeting, and if you go ask the players the same day, they will use some of the same words that the coaches use. It's called ruin in the same direction. This team for whatever reason, six weeks ago, they weren't ruined in the same direction. And they had these escape room events and all this other stuff, trying to get it right.

And it never got right. Is it just a simple and, you know, Sirianni the last two years has done a really good job this year. He lost control of his locker room is as simple as just to say, Okay, this team lost Shane Steichen.

I know that fans are really tough on Jonathan Gannon, but they've lost both of their coordinators is that's what it just simply boils down to that this team couldn't survive the losses of those two guys. You know what? It's kind of hard to say.

I like there's a camp here in Philadelphia that wants Nick Sirianni fire. I don't know how I feel about that. I know. I know this business. I'm not a dummy. You know, you look at what's going on potentially in Dallas and what they're talking about with Mike McCarthy and the God has won 12 games in a season and for the last three seasons. I'm not a dummy.

I know how this works. But there was a disconnect somewhere between the quarterback and the coach that I don't know if the answer is to fire the coach. Now I know that the coordinators I don't think neither one of those guys are going to be here. But I don't know if I'm sold on fire Nick Sirianni because he's done some pretty good things in the NFL. Like I said, I'm not a dummy.

I know how this game works. But you're basically hit if you fire Sirianni in this situation, you're basically hitting the hard reset but I don't know if it's a hard reset because this core they have a lot of talent. Like I don't think talent is necessarily the issue.

Obviously, you could fine tune some things. I think it comes down to a leadership perspective and you know, and that's Yeah, that's basically what I'm talking about. When you when I say hard reset, I'm saying if you get another coach in here, he's he's going to implement his philosophy.

He's bringing in his people. And then you have another year of resetting what you what your what your your goals are, like how you want to run your office and things of that nature. That's why I'm like, I'm not too sure if coach Sirianni is the by firing him is there. So that's what I mean by hard reset. Gotcha.

Hugh Douglas here with us. The biggest reason why I would fire him is no matter if the players like him or not, they quit on some capacity on the head coach this year, even though they'll tell you they love the coach. And I understand now right the my way or the highway approach doesn't work. But there's a difference in being a players coach and then be in a doormat. And it felt like this year, especially the final six, seven games. Sirianni became a doormat for these players. Yeah, there's no like, like, those words are just so strong.

I don't know. But they're true. You know, this stuff drives me crazy today, because it's one thing to be bad and not to reach where you're supposed to go. It's another thing to just quit, especially in that city. You know that city quitting is not acceptable. You know what it is that what I like because I had, I have a chance all the time to talk to a lot of these players, and to a man when you look them in the face. They will tell you that that they feel that they're a good football team, and that they played hard and, and that they believe in coach Sirianni, but the proof it into putting because we see it every week they go out on the field, and they lay stinky turds and you look at it, and you're wondering to yourself you like, how can you go out there weekend and week out, especially on the defensive side of the ball and make the same mistakes weekend and week out. You had people running free in the secondary uncontested for weeks. So I get exactly what you're saying it's just that, to your point when you hear you say that about the city of Philadelphia guys giving up.

It just doesn't matter that math is not math for me. It really is. The other thing too, and this probably has to just make it crazy as defensive player being the great defensive player that Hugh Douglas was. I've never seen tackling as bad as this. Listen, when I, when I tell you, I've had former teammates of mine.

We were texting back and forth we've been talking all day. And they're, they're so upset with what they were seeing on the field. It's ridiculous.

I'm talking about from defensive lineman to secondary players. It's called want to a friend of mine coined that phrase a long time ago it's called want to, and a lot of these guys did not want to tackle anybody yesterday I don't care how you want to talk about it and people talk about saving themselves and things of that nature. Nobody wants to make a tackle yesterday in a playoff game. It's ridiculous.

That was the only team that I saw yesterday. That looked like the Philadelphia Eagles areas that look like they really didn't want to be in the playoffs. That's ridiculous to me.

It absolutely is. And the other thing too, like, right, you have to do this each and every day, so you're going to say some positive things you're going to say some negative things, but I don't know if there's two guys that love the Eagles more than Brian Dawkins and Brian Westbrook, and to see them be critical of this team that tells me everything I need to know about the 20, you know what's funny, I've been, I've been texting with Brian Dawkins all day. And when I tell you as soon as I answer the text he's fired off another text, talking about how disgusted he is with this team and how it would have been, you know, when you're when you get our age you have all this great you being like that, or you get to talk about is how it used to be back in my day, and what we would have done if we were in the locker room. Unfortunately, we're not.

And it's a different day at age, and to see this man, it's just tough Seth Joyner everybody that I talked to I agrees, guys that see this. This is not Eagles football, no question about it. And not only that, but you also continue to look at this, you see guys do things that are out of character that speaks to really the incompetence that happened behind the scenes like I've known a son Riddick before anyone knew who son Riddick was since, since I attended Temple University Devontae Smith is one of the best teammates that there is as well to see both of those guys have blow ups on the sidelines at the coaching staff, you know, I don't think anyone should be surprised with what happened in Tampa Bay.

When that was happening towards the end of the season. Yeah, and you know what the funny thing is we were told for weeks that that this team was going to get it together. And, unfortunately, it did happen that way. And even I drink the Kool Aid I believe you know being in Philadelphia being a part of this city for as long as I've been that they were going to find some way to turn it around. But unfortunately that was not the case. And that's where we are like, I don't know, honestly, if firing coach Siriano is the answer, but you make some very very valid points and like I said when we started this. I know how this business works. And if the team is not responding to the coach, then you have to take drastic measures. But there was also some rumblies about the quarterback and his, his interactions with some of the guys on the sideline as well. So I don't know what the correct answer is.

I think the best thing to do in this situation is let cooler hands prevail and give it a couple days. But you know exactly the unfortunate thing about all this. We got a bunch of hot coaches out there, some sick coaches that everybody wants to get a get a conversation with and have an interview with.

So you can't wait too long before you decide to make a decision. Let me get to those coaches in just a second. But I want to circle back on what you said regarding Jalen hurts. I was blown away by his leadership last year by the times I was in that locker room, you could tell that he was the heartbeat of this team.

There were so many times this year, he was just sitting there on the sidelines looking like he was sulking yet players yelling at him. What needs to change just with the leadership style of Jalen hurts in your opinion. You know what, I think this is where it gets a little difficult for me because Jalen hurts had an interview yesterday, where he talked about some about this wasn't our year, and anything like that. Jalen hurts since he's been here, and I wasn't here for the whole time when he first got here but I followed this team from afar, and he always spoke about seizing the moment and taking advantage of the situation that was put in front of. And, and to hear him talk like that yesterday.

And basically saying that it wasn't our time and it wasn't our moment anything like that. It, it made me feel it made me say, see that and hear that, because here's a guy that when you look at his whole life, his whole career. He's taken advantage of adversity, that was given to him, you know you talk about being best in Alabama, not crying about that, and coming back and being the resilient player that he is with Oklahoma, same thing got drafted second got paid $250 million. So, when I hear him say stuff like that.

It's just disheartening because it's one of those things where that has not been his mantra. Since I've known him to be a professional quarterback. So, you know, he was always a guy that that that kind of. He was the aggressive. He conceded yesterday when he said, he said that it was one of those things where, you know, we had crumbs or whatever whatever he said I'm paraphrasing here, and that it wasn't our time. So to see him on the sideline he doesn't need to be a rah rah leader for me he doesn't have to get in everybody's face and give new Rodney speeches or anything like that. But you have to be more engaged.

You have to look like you care I know he cares, I think he cares because he's been selling me that for the last couple years. I just think that somewhere along the line. And they need to figure it out. I think in this locker room right now. There needs to be some hard conversations that need to be had obviously not and not going to be had because you know everybody's doing exit interviews, but but moving forward. There has to be some accountability in that locker room. Well, let me ask you this, if you're saying right we know Hertz is not going anywhere with the contract nor should he.

If you're saying you're more leaning towards bringing back Sirianni outside of just addressing whatever problems going on locker room. You playing the game you have in your experience, knowing what it takes in this league. What would your biggest piece of advice, and your biggest message to be also understanding this city to this Eagles core and this Eagles group that's still trying to go get a championship down the road accountability. That's the one thing that I feel was a staple when I play with the Philadelphia Eagles, was that we had we held each other accountable. And sometimes, even with my friends today you have to have hard conversation can have a lot of yes man around. Sometimes you have to be told the truth about yourself, even if you don't want to hear. And if that's the case, that goes for coach Sirianni that goes for Jalen hurts and anybody else who's not rolling in the same direction that the Philadelphia Eagles want to roll with, you have to have some hard conversations sometimes man you have to take a look at yourself, the man in the mirror and figure out how to get it done, because if you're like all year long we talked about how this team felt like they were team of destiny I heard a quarterback said every week about how his, his whole mantra, and his whole drive was to get back to the Super Bowl.

Well, if that's the case, then you should be able to have a conversation with somebody. Hey, if you're not doing it the right way or the right way that works best for us. Then if you're serious about making it to the Super Bowl, then you have that conversation you correct it simple as that.

That's how I look at. Let's say they do move on from Nick Sirianni, you got Bella check available Pete Carroll Mike fable Jim Harbaugh, who do you want to see to be the next head coach of this team. You know it's funny that you're asking this question is my partner Joe Julia, he has his list already have the coaches that he wants and coach Bella check is that top like I like coach Bella check coach Bella check was a coach, when I was in New York Jets with the New York Jets for a small time. I think he's a little bit older, no disrespect to the old old heads out there because I'm one of them no disrespect, but I think that it's important to have a coach that connects with your football team and has not so big of a generational gap. So I'm thinking I'm leaning more towards like a Mike fable or Jim Harbaugh, I'm thinking Jim, Jim is Jim is the tie at the top of my list. Yeah, I don't know how Jim would work with Howie, that's my one concern now variable has had some concerns working with general managers I guess as well. The last two years but I think variable would be the best fit for Philadelphia, because I think he's the perfect mix of a guy that is considered a players coach right now, but he won't be a doormat like Sirianni and to hold that accountability in the locker room. It's, that's the thing that I think that we're looking at right now because it feels to me because you keep saying it that that coach Sirianni's of his reputation around the league right now it ain't the greatest. No, it's not the greatest changes a lot of one year.

Last year he was on top of the world now he's the biggest dope. I'm here to tell you that that that's a long way to fall brother I'm here to tell you, but uh, I would think with between the two and plus coach rebel is the guy that likes to run the football. I think if you want to help fix daily because that's what we're talking about now, every, every running a good running game is every quarterbacks best friend.

So with the skill set that Jalen has in the way that he's matured at the first half of the season. I'm willing to take a chance on coach break. Coach, coach Harbaugh, by the way, Hugh, it doesn't take much for like, it takes a lot actually for me to like rip a team like this, but it's, it's a simple thing. Like there's just some certain things that are so obvious, and I'm never going to pretend like I know how to call plays or anything like that. But their approach on offense this year. How many times last night, am I going to see a screen pass, and then you, they get to third and two, and they want to throw the ball 40 yards downfield, that's the time you should run the screen pass that that I watched the game, most of the time, not this year, but I watched the game from a defensive perspective.

I like to watch the line play. But I'm with you sometimes watching this offense play. I'm like what the hell are they doing like what what, like, the plays had no fluidity, they didn't mesh very very well. And sometimes you would see like in the Giants game a couple weeks ago they started the game they had two great ones runs by Kenny Gainwell, then they dropped back and try to heed the ball 50 yards down the field.

I didn't understand that. But like you said I'm not, I'm not an offensive coordinator, but I know enough about offense to know that a lot of plays have to look similar in order to try to fool the defense because that's basically what we're talking about. You would be laughing as a defensive player you'd be laughing going up against these this Eagles offense, you'd be licking your chops. It's a little simplistic I've heard stories of guys saying that that teams have come up to the line of scrimmage, and they know that the Eagles formations and they call out the plays right before they run, so yes, it's, it was a little.

It was a little preschool. Now, last thing I'll ask you, Hugh Douglas, when you take a look back at this season, and you discuss AJ Brown, but what's the truth with him we hear 9000 things with AJ Brown what's AJ Brown's biggest gripe in your opinion. I would say he's misunderstood. So he's like, it's easy, because we've seen so many examples of diva receivers malcontent receivers. It's easy to try to lump them into that, I think he's a passionate player. I think that a lot of times he's misunderstood with his passion, but I'll take a receiver of that caliber anytime you know I played with to historically. So, famously people think that me and to can't stand each other, and he are good, we are good, even though he he misremembered this story in the locker room down with me. Me or fine man but I will play with a guy like that, any day, so you didn't kick his ass in the locker room. No, see it didn't happen. Well if you really appreciate you doing this nothing but love for you and your family. Thanks so much for doing this day much appreciated.