Why DeVonta Smith was unhappy even after skid-snapping win 

Some holiday music was playing through the speakers in the Eagles’ locker room after their 33-25 win over the Giants on Christmas Day at the Linc.

But it was not a Holly Jolly Christmas.

Far from it.

The Eagles improved to 11-4 but with just two games remaining in the 2023 regular season, they’re clearly not playing their best football. And one of their offensive captains, Devonta Smith, didn’t mince words.

“Eleven wins?” Smith said. “We’re not playing good football right now. As an offense, we’re not where we want to be. I’m not satisfied. Yeah, we got 11 wins. I’m not happy. It needs to be better for what I want to do, what everybody else in here wants to do, what we want to be. We’re nowhere near that, so no, I’m not happy.”

That sentiment was shared by plenty of Eagles after a win that snapped a three-game losing streak. There was some relief about getting a W but it wasn’t convincing and it did little to quell the fears that have popped up over the last month.

In fact, it was the same kind of win we’ve seen plenty of times from the Eagles this season.

“I think that’s probably pretty much anybody in here, man,” Smith said. “They’ll probably tell you the same thing. We know what we can be and we know we’re not there yet. We have a lot to do.”

Smith on Monday surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second straight season and was asked about that milestone twice after the game. Both times, he gave a version of the same answer: “We ain’t play how we’re supposed to play.”

Smith wasn’t alone in his frustration. A few feet away from Smith’s locker stall, fellow captain A.J. Brown declined multiple interview requests, a rarity in the NFL after a win. There was clearly plenty of frustration among the Eagles’ offensive players and we saw some of it bubble over through the TV late in the game.

But it wasn’t like the Eagles’ offense had an awful day. While they floundered at times in the red zone, turned the football over and committed costly penalties, they still moved the ball. They had 28 first downs to the Giants’ 14 and ended with 465 yards of total offense — their second-highest total of the season.

“We have high standards and it’s hard when you know that there’s so many opportunities that you know were left out there,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “A win is always going to be a win but it’s not going to feel great. It feels good. It’s not going to feel great. I think it’s just the high standard in this locker room.”

Throughout the 2023 season, quarterback Jalen Hurts has talked about the importance of winning but also of playing to their standard. He’s talked about it so much this season because there have been a lot of wins where the Eagles haven’t played their best football but found a way to sneak by.

It’s clear that games like this leave the Eagles’ quarterback slightly conflicted.

“It’s like a double-edged sword of what’s more important, winning or the standard? It’s a very manipulative thing to the mind sometimes,” he said. “I can play to the standard and lose and be sick. I can go win and not play to the standard and be like, ‘We have more work to do.’ It’s that fight we balance as competitors.”

If the Eagles do have some magic switch that would allow them to play a complete game, now would be the time to flip it. Because they’re running out of time.

The Eagles host the Cardinals in Week 17 and then travel to North Jersey to close out the regular season against the Giants. Two more games against subpar opponents before the playoffs begin.

“You hope you’re getting close at this point,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “We know we have better football in us. To be 11-4 and still have better football left in you, that’s encouraging, but let’s go. We have to get there.”

If the Eagles take care of business over these last two games, they would clinch the NFC East. If they take care of business and the Lions drop a game, they would get the No. 2 seed. If they take care of business and the 49ers drop one more game, they would get the No. 1 seed.

But none of that really seems to matter as much if the Eagles don’t start playing better as they get ready for a playoff run.

Every player who spoke in the locker room on Christmas evening seemed confident they can turn it around, even this late in the season.

“I know the type of people we have on this team,” Olamide Zaccheaus said. “We just gotta come out and do it.”

Maybe it’ll start next week against the Cardinals.

“I have all the confidence in the world that we can fix it,” Smith said. “I’m never going to doubt that we’re going to be able to fix it. But we’re running out of time. We’ve got two weeks. We’ve got two weeks to get it together.”

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