Who should take the fall for the Eagles?

How long is the grace period for a championship-winning team before its fans are allowed to be angry again?

There's no correct answer besides "shorter than Nick Sirianni would like."

The Philadelphia Eagles head coach and his team completed one of the weirdest seasons in recent memory Sunday, losing at home to the beaten-up San Francisco 49ers in a game that couldn't have been more different from their Super Bowl win less than a year ago.

The formerly relentless Philadelphia offense managed 19 points against a Niners defense that's been ravaged by injury, continuing a season-long trend in which the Eagles struggled to come up with explosive plays.

Needing a touchdown to win on their final drive, quarterback Jalen Hurts coolly steered the Eagles to the 49ers' 20-yard line, then stalled out. A sack and three incompletions ended Philly's season. It felt appropriate given what had happened over the previous 17 games: Hurts couldn't push the ball downfield when it mattered, and the weapons that were so dangerous last year - Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith - couldn't make a difference.

Again encapsulating the season, Sirianni even got into a sideline shouting match with Brown, the oft-disgruntled receiver.

Although the Eagles' championship banner still looks pristine, it's not unthinkable that at least one of Brown or Sirianni will be gone next season.

There are at least a few explanations for the strange malaise in Philadelphia this year. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore left for a head coaching gig like Shane Steichen before him, so Hurts was dealing with yet another new play-caller in Kevin Patullo. The offensive line, once a huge strength, was also degraded by injuries, which must have been a key reason Barkley's yards from scrimmage plummeted by 870 from last season to this one.

These problems were evident for most of the season - so much so that some fans were clamoring for Patullo's ouster by the time the leaves changed color in Philadelphia. Sirianni stuck with his guy, refusing to give play-calling duties to someone else (or take them himself). Instead, a months-long subplot unfolded about whether Brown and Hurts were squabbling. There were reports of clear-the-air meetings and attempts to improve the pair's on-field chemistry, but it all culminated in Sunday's brutal outing where Brown had just three catches for 25 yards. He also had two drops, including one that was particularly glaring in the fourth quarter.

After the Eagles scored their second touchdown of the game, they almost totally stopped moving the ball. The numbers were ugly: four punts, two field goals, and that turnover on downs to close out the rest of the game. One of those field-goal drives was the gold standard of the Patullo era's conservatism: 10 plays, 5:11 of clock time, and all of 23 yards gained. Feel the excitement!

Philadelphia's offensive woes also looked that much worse next to the team's stout defense, which usually held up its end of the bargain. The Eagles could be good enough on any night to hang with anyone; they beat the Packers, Rams, Lions, and Bills this season. But since their bye in Week 9, they managed to score at least 30 points just once - and that was 31 against the Raiders, who were barely an NFL team at the time.

The high-priced offense simply flopped when it mattered.

Philly's next moves seem like they should be obvious: bring in a new OC and hope that person can rekindle the spark that disappeared this season. Hurts has limitations, but he's shown that he can thrive in a system that takes advantage of his strengths.

It could also be time to move on from Brown, since the wideout seems unlikely to suddenly express satisfaction with his coach and quarterback after months of low-key feuding with them. A split is easier said than done considering his contract and the dead-cap situation that looms if the Eagles release or trade him. Despite Sirianni's declaration that he "loves" Brown, maybe eating the dead money and starting fresh is the best outcome for all parties, and general manager Howie Roseman can use his magic to make it all work.

But those moves can't guarantee success.

The Bills decided to move on from the similarly discontented Stefon Diggs two years ago. Josh Allen has spent much of the time since trying to find a wide receiver he trusts in big moments. And a new offensive coordinator might jump-start the Eagles' offense - or he might find that last year's magic, when Barkley was ripping off big gains and the tush push was the most unstoppable play in football, can't be recreated.

Significant change seems inevitable, even though this team was covered in Champagne last February. The honeymoon ended quickly. There's already talk of divorce.

Scott Stinson is a contributing writer for theScore.