10 straight home losses? Here's why

The Eagles play the Washington Redskins on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles are 5-5; the Redskins, 3-6. You'd think that would be a good thing, having a home game against a lesser opponent. Yeah, you'd think that.

There's just one problem: The Eagles have lost their last 10 games at the Linc. That's a lot. That's four short of the NFL record. For a sense of proportion, of just how long a 10-game home losing streak in the NFL is in comparison to other sports, imagine the Phillies losing 101 straight games at Citizens Bank Park. Imagine the Flyers or Sixers losing 50 straight games at the Wells Fargo Center. Imagine the misery. Imagine the embarrassment. Imagine the news conferences Ed Snider would give, the aging outfielders Ruben Amaro Jr. would sign.

Whenever a streak like this reaches the point that it warrants attention, it's standard operating procedure for a sports columnist to list all the big events or quirky pop-culture changes that have taken place since the streak began. The last time Cal Ripken Jr. missed a game, Ronald Reagan was in his first term as president, "Simon & Simon" was one of TV's highest-rated shows, and pet rocks were a thing!

Here at The Inquirer, though, we don't settle for such trite and formulaic approaches to journalism. We dig deep. We search for answers. And we deliver.

So here you go: The 27 Reasons That the Eagles Have Lost 10 Consecutive Home Games:

1. The offense.

2. The defense.

3. Special teams.

4. Coaching.

5. Andy Reid needed to put his guys in better position to make plays and execute and do the things you need to do to win football games.

6. ChipKellyneedstoput-hisguysinbetterpositiontomakeplaysandexecute-

anddothethingsyou-needtodotowinfootballgames.

7. Sometimes, Michael Vick got hurt and couldn't play.

8. Sometimes, Michael Vick played.

9. Jason Kelce got hurt and couldn't play.

10. Dallas Reynolds played.

11. Players were traumatized by the sight of a giant, shrieking chinchilla attacking teammates and coaches along the sideline, only to discover it was Howard Eskin in a fur coat.

12. Juan Castillo was the defensive coordinator.

13. Sean McDermott was not.

14. Riley Cooper missed a key game because he was attending a private screening of 12 Years a Slave.

15. Philip Rivers. I mean, seriously. He was great that day.

16. One week, with the Eagles trailing by five points midway through the fourth quarter, DeSean Jackson caught a deep pass, broke away from the opposing defense, and celebrated at the 1-yard line until time expired.

17. Nate Allen can't tackle anyone.

18. Dominique Rogers-Cromartie didn't try to.

19. Nnamdi Asomugha couldn't cover anyone.

20. Nnamdi Asomugha didn't try to.

21. Another week, with the Eagles trailing by four points midway through the fourth quarter, LeSean McCoy took a handoff and, in trying to fake out a defender, cut back and forth at the 1-yard line until time expired.

22. The Eagles have been tanking for a high draft pick.

23. Chip Kelly decided to call an elementary pass play on second and goal at the 2-yard line with Matt Barkley in the game, and everyone knows that Kelly should have called the play to the opposite side of the field because Vick is usually the quarterback and he's lefthanded, or that McCoy should have carried the ball because he's the Eagles' best offensive player, or that Kelly should have done anything except call an elementary pass play and make Matt Barkley fumble.

24. The Eagles need a culture change.

25. Another week, with the Eagles trailing by 10 points late in the third quarter, Nick Foles held on to the football until time expired, threw an incompletion, and took a hit that gave him a concussion. (No, that one really happened. Honest.)

26. The Eagles are like Walter in The Big Lebowski. They don't roll on Shabbos - or on Sundays, dude.

27. Andy Reid needed to put his guys in better position to make plays and execute and do the things you need to do to win football games. And he did. When he was coaching the Kansas City Chiefs.

@MikeSielski