'This one hurts': Inside the Eagles' locker room after shocking loss to Jaguars

LONDON -- How did this happen?

Were you in attendance at Tottenham Stadium, when a record-setting crowd shifted to boos?

Or were you stateside staring at your television, wondering if the whole football world had gone mad?

Jacksonville Jaguars 19, Philadelphia Eagles 17.

Was that really the final score? Hadn't the Eagles led 17-16 with eight seconds remaining? A classic comeback seemed all but sealed. Jake Elliott's 48-yard field goal had turned green-clad strangers in the stands into bands of hugging brethren. A group of fans beneath the rows of reporters had only just returned their attention to the field to see Elliott's kickoff falling from the sky.

Had that kickoff really fallen into play? Indeed, in the name of all that is agony and horror, Jaguars kick returner Ameer Abdullah juked past Elliott at midfield. Cam Little took aim from 57 yards out, with one second left, and struck the Eagles with a stunning blow that will follow them all the way back across the Atlantic.

"This one hurts," linebacker Zack Baun said.

It could have healed -- should have healed -- an Eagles team that gravely needed something to celebrate after blowing a two-score lead to the Los Angeles Rams last week.

Instead, the Eagles' last-second loss, which gave them a losing in-season record (2-3) for the first time since coach Nick Sirianni's first season in 2021, was the twisting dagger in what left tackle Jordan Mailata described as "a week from hell."

Right tackle Lane Johnson suddenly retiring. Center Cam Jurgens getting traded. An injury report that sidelined six starters by kickoff, then claimed edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, running back Will Shipley and safety Michael Carter II by final whistle.

In the aftermath of yet another stunning loss, Mailata couldn't even consider if the Eagles could claim a moral victory for nearly upsetting a 7.5-point favorite despite having a battered lineup.

"I don't even know what that means now," Mailata said. "I don't even know. Like, my brain hurts."

The loss was the most confounding in Sirianni's tenure. It was the sort of game the Eagles are designed to win.

The organization has built its golden era on stellar defensive play, steady-to-explosive offensive output, and expert game management. An Eagles defense shook loose its rocky start by forcing two goal-line stands, plus a three-and-out that afforded Elliott's opportunity at a game-winning field goal.

A patchwork offensive line paved the way for Shipley's 2-yard touchdown run. Jalen Hurts hit Darius Cooper for a 62-yard score in the first half, then enabled Elliott's field goal in part by finding Dallas Goedert on a 17-yard throw to advance into Jaguars' territory.

The Eagles curiously called for the ensuing kickoff to fall into play. Had Elliott tried to land a kick in the designated landing zone to be downed, the Jaguars would have started from their 20-yard line. Had Elliott booted the ball for a touchback, the Jaguars would have started from their 35. Both situations would have put the Jaguars, without any timeouts, into the highly unfavorable position of trying to complete a deep pass into field goal range -- and to ensure the receiver got out of bounds.

"I didn't make the right decision," Sirianni said. "And I lost us that game."

Sirianni stood before the team in the locker room and told his players the same thing. Accountability is one of Sirianni's core pillars in his program.

"As much as he preaches accountability, he sure took it in that moment," Baun said.

Game management is one of Sirianni's primary in-game responsibilities. He ceded play-calling to former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen midway through the 2021 season to better fulfill a managerial role. He prides himself in being prepared for in-game scenarios. (The Eagles' last-second 'Tush Push' in hurry-up mode before halftime against the Chicago Bears is a quintessential example.)

Sirianni did not disclose to reporters the details of how he erred. He would not say whether his pre-game preparation called for a touchback attempt or an in-play kickoff in that scenario.

"There's nothing really else to say about that," Sirianni said. "I didn't do my job good enough in that situation."

A locker room that tried to speak with hope in its melancholy owned its share of mistakes -- and named them.

"It's not just on Sirianni, it's on us as well," said Mailata, recalling a fourth-quarter false start that contributed to an Eagles punt. "I can't be false-starting in certain gotta-have-it periods when we're backed up and we're not extending drives because of that. It's not just on coach."

Safety Drew Mukuba admitted his fault from when Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington gained a few steps on him on a route just beyond the line of scrimmage, then turned upfield for a 51-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Mukuba said he read run on a play-action fake by Trevor Lawrence, "but I've got to get out there on the flat and make that tackle."

Cornerback Riq Woolen even critiqued himself on Washington's fourth-quarter, one-handed touchdown catch, which defied Woolen's close coverage.

Still, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Woolen attempted to distance himself from immediate emotions. He joined the Eagles after contributing to the Seattle Seahawks' victory in Super Bowl LX. He recognizes the potential that still remains from the Eagles' players who contributed to winning Super Bowl LIX.

"We're on the way to greatness, and sometimes we have trials," Woolen said. "This is just a trial. And you know, one of our leaders, which is our head coach, owned up to the loss. But at the same time, we all play a part. We all play a part in the wins, too."

The togetherness Sirianni emphasized entering this season is now being tested. There is a dark equality to an arguable notion that each phase of the Eagles owns one of the team's three straight losses.

The defense disappeared against the Bears. The offense stagnated against the Rams. Sirianni's management of the final two minutes, plus poor kick-coverage and tackling on the decisive return, spoiled a comeback against the Jaguars.

The Eagles believe their corrections will eventually sync up.

"This is what, Week 5?" nickelback Cooper DeJean said. "We've still got how many games? Twelve? Eleven? We've just got to keep fighting."

That the Eagles can again rely on their defense is encouraging. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who managed a fractured wrist for two games, feasted on the Jaguars with two sack fumbles and a tackle for loss -- destruction that meets the bar set when the Eagles made him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history this offseason.

"The dude is insane," Baun said of Carter. "Absolutely insane."

Baun's play itself was absurd. He surged to tackle Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten for a 6-yard loss on fourth-and-goal at the Eagles' 1 with one second remaining in the first half.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's unit propped open the door for a win again and again. A defense that did not force any turnovers through the season's first three weeks has now logged three interceptions. In the second half Sunday, cornerback Quinyon Mitchell dove past Brian Thomas Jr. to snare his first career regular-season interception.

Even after a brutal loss, Eagles defenders projected a confidence that justified why they feel a turnaround is coming. DeJean said they frequently preach, "Never back down, no matter where they're at on the field."

Several offensive players said they draw their confidence from the defense, too, which could spark a resurgence once injured running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith return to the lineup. Hurts ended his press conference by emphasizing that the Eagles are a few plays from being 4-1.

"Yeah, I'm actually very, very excited, and very high on the team right now because I think more than ever, the defense picked us up -- not just on the field, but everything we went through this week, they picked us up off the field," Mailata said. "We did link arms, and I think moving forward, we're linking arms even more now. There's no blame to be tossed around."

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.