Colin Cowherd rubs salt in the wounds of the Eagles with brutal critique of Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts

Colin Cowherd wasted no time piling pressure on the Philadelphia Eagles following their shocking Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The 23-19 defeat ended their Super Bowl hopes and reignited questions about leadership, adaptability, and execution, areas Cowherd believes were exposed under playoff scrutiny.

The 49ers arrived undermanned yet left victorious, while Philadelphia struggled once momentum shifted late in the contest. The coaching staff and quarterback Jalen Hurts were criticized for a timid performance.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan earned praise for navigating injuries, including George Kittle’s early exit, while maintaining offensive rhythm and situational control in a hostile road environment.  “One coach was ChatGPT, the other was crayons”

On FS1’s The Herd, Cowherd framed the matchup as a coaching battle, arguing preparation and creativity, not talent alone, determined the outcome.

“One coach was ChatGPT, and the other was crayons,” Cowherd said. “I’m so glad that Philly lost. Their tushes got pushed out of the playoffs. Because the NFL playoffs are about the best coaches and the best quarterbacks. And Philly has neither.

Bottom line is, let’s talk Niners. From the opening drive, to the perfectly timed trick play, to their ingenuity, to their efficiency on third down.”

“That was a coaching mismatch. One coach was ChatGPT and the other was crayons.”@colincowherd on Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers beating Nick Sirianni’s Eagles pic.twitter.com/yWLNPG3aI1

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 12, 2026

He added, “Kyle Shanahan is using coupons and buying a month full of groceries for 48 bucks, and I feel like Nick Sirianni hit the lottery and he’s broke two years later.”

The critique extended beyond one game. Cowherd highlighted season-long second-half struggles for Philadelphia, citing statistics that showed the team near the bottom of the league in second-half scoring and yards, despite favorable turnovers and home-field advantage.

“San Francisco is totally resourceful,” Cowherd said. “Nick Sirianni gets two picks, a 27-yard punt by the Niners, George Kittle gets hurt, you’re at home. And this year, in the second half, all year, Philadelphia averages nine points in the second half, including the playoffs. 26th in the league. 26th in second-half yards. There’s no creativity.”

“To me, the NFL playoffs are about Shanahan and Robert Saleh. Shanahan is a wizard. That opening drive, I was like, ‘Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!’ What was that? And that trick play wasn’t like a hook-and-lateral in the red zone. That’s a big boy trick play. Reverses, receiver throwing deep. For three and a half hours, you saw coaching. That was a coaching mismatch. One coach was ChatGPT, and the other was crayons. That wasn’t even close.”

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With the season over, Philadelphia now faces scrutiny regarding offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and the overall structure of Sirianni’s staff. Their repeated inability to generate second-half touchdowns, including six games without one, has undermined an otherwise strong roster.

“So, the Eagles are boring, they’re not creative,” Cowherd continued. “They’ve got an unbelievable roster, but 40 percent of their drives yesterday were three and out. Philadelphia led the NFL in percentage of three-and-outs. How? A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley. Get outta here!”

Cowherd concluded, “By the way, I don’t want to hear about Sirianni being great in the locker room. He’s barking at A.J. Brown again on the sidelines! Come on! You’ve got to grow up.

To me, the NFL playoffs are about quarterback play, efficiency, ingenuity, overcoming, resourcefulness, and that all came from one side.”  Meanwhile, the 49ers move on to face the 14-3 Seattle Seahawks in the next round of the playoffs.