Eagles head to London at .500 and in dire need of fixing offense sagging under Hurts, Sirianni

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts blames the Eagles' offensive woes on “poor execution.”

He repeated it three times as his only answer to a question about how the Eagles failed to score in the second half and blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter to the Los Angeles Rams. Hurts said it again when asked how the Eagles failed to convert a single third down in their 24-20 loss on Sunday.

Hurts had only 10 yards passing in the second half.

So what's really to blame for the offense?

Hurts blames the execution.

Eagles fans, well, they blame coach Nick Sirianni, and perhaps with good reason after his ill-fated decision to try to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line. The Eagles failed to score, and the Rams came back and scored a touchdown on a 98-yard drive.

Sirianni took the fall and refused to pin the blame solely on new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.

“He’s going to wear a lot of this. There’s no doubt,” Sirianni said. “I’m going to wear a lot of this. Our offense is going to wear a lot of this. You win together; you lose together. I have no complaints on what happened there today.”

The Eagles also have been smacked with injuries and played without several key starters. They lost a few more on Sunday and could be looking to start a handful of backups when they play Jacksonville this weekend. “Next man up” sounds good in theory. Not necessarily when they need a half-dozen or more to fill the spots.

“I have a lot of faith in everybody on this football team,” Sirianni said. “There’s a reason they’re Philadelphia Eagles.”

The 2-2 record seems pretty dire for a franchise that has set a championship standard. Perhaps they can learn something from the 2024 season when they were 2-2 — and then won the Super Bowl.

Hurts said the Eagles can fix their offensive woes with, yes, better execution.

“You’re finding your flow collectively as a unit,” Hurts said. "I think it comes down to finding a flow, finding a rhythm as a unit, as a group, and going out there and executing at a higher level. We didn’t do that today.”

The Eagles got their first takeaways of the season and were able to convert them into points.

Matthew Stafford was intercepted on the Rams’ first drive on a diving catch by Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba. He had the Eagles' first pick of the season. That led to a field goal. Stafford threw his second pick to Cooper DeJean and that set up the Eagles' final touchdown for a 20-10 lead.

Third-down conversions and second-half scoring. The Eagles failed to convert a single third down on 12 tries and have been outscored 31-0 in the second half of their last two games, both losses. They had only 68 net yards passing and a measly 172 yards of total offense against the Rams.

Darius Cooper. With DeVonta Smith out with a hamstring injury (he could miss Sunday, as well), Cooper ably filled in as a top target. Cooper, who made the game-winning TD catch in a Week 2 win in Tennessee, had touchdown catches of 10 and 18 yards in the first half against the Rams.

His first TD is already a top candidate for the Eagles’ play of the year.

Hurts was under pressure on a pass play and floated a pass into the end zone off his back foot. Rams safety Quentin Lake had a pick in sight and got his fingertips on the ball when he leapt at the goal line. Cooper jumped behind him and snatched the ball and then tumbled to the turf to turn the potential interception into a touchdown and a 13-3 lead.

The Eagles' offensive line struggled without Lane Johnson. There was little pass protection and Cam Jurgens continued to get beat at left guard. Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner repeatedly plowed past him, which stalled the Eagles' run game. The Eagles are 18-30 when Johnson isn't in the lineup.

Where to begin?

Johnson, a two-time All-Pro, was a late scratch for personal reasons.

Saquon Barkley went down early against the Rams with a hamstring injury. Quinyon Mitchell, Jonathan Greenard and Tank Bigsby all went into the sideline medical tent at some point.

Philadelphia already had ruled out wide receiver DeVonta Smith with a hamstring injury along with linebacker Zack Baun, who has a concussion. Six starters were ruled out ahead of the game.

Sirianni had no updates Sunday on Johnson or the injured players.

50 — Jake Elliott kicked a 56-yard field goal and extended his own franchise record with 35 field goals of 50-plus yards. After a down season, he's 2 for 2 on 50-yarders this season. He made a 59-yarder in Week 2 at Tennessee.

Get ready for Britain and Ringo. The Eagles — including punt returner Britain Covey and cornerback Kelee Ringo — are headed to London to play the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Stadium. Sportsbooks have the Jaguars as 3 1/2-point favorites.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni looks up during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts attends a news conference after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looks to pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) gestures during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

TROY, Ohio (AP) — Former ‘American Idol’ contestant Caleb Flynn is sentenced to life in prison for wife’s murder.

THIS IS AN APNewsAlert. Check back for updates. AP's earlier story is below.

A former music pastor in Ohio who appeared briefly on “American Idol” was set to be sentenced Monday after a jury convicted him of murdering his wife while he was having an affair.

Prosecutors said Caleb Flynn, 40, staged a home invasion in February after shooting his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach. Flynn claimed she was killed by a burglar at their house in Tipp City, a suburb north of Dayton.

He sent a text message to his lover the night before the shooting, saying, “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow,” prosecutors said.

Flynn faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole after the jury found him guilty last week of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

Flynn appeared briefly on “American Idol” in 2013, telling TV viewers about how his wife had encouraged him to chase his dreams on the singing competition. He sang before judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj but did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood.

During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Flynn wanted out of his marriage when he shot his wife. The couple’s two daughters were home with their father when police arrived.

During the trial, Alleigha Botner testified she met Flynn in 2022 while she was a 20-year-old intern at his church and had an affair with him for more than a year. She told jurors that Flynn said he hated his wife and had thoughts of killing her.

Jurors also heard AI-generated love songs that prosecutors said he made for Botner. Flynn didn’t testify on his own behalf, nor did anybody else.

The gun used to kill Ashley Flynn was not found at the scene, and his attorney told jurors that investigators found no evidence that Caleb Flynn fired a gun that day. Prosecutors said his fingerprints and DNA were at the scene and that his devices showed him moving around the house, even though he claimed he was asleep at the time of the shooting.

This image taken from pool court video shows 40-year-old Caleb Flynn listening to the judge reading out the jury's verdict at the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Troy, Ohio. (Pool via AP)

Caleb Flynn listens to court proceedings inside the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in Troy, Ohio. (AP Photo, Pool)