Nick Sirianni clearly is a phoenix.
Following the beautiful collapse over the ultimate seven weeks of the 2023 Eagles season, a marketing campaign wherein the Eagles went from an sad 10-1 Super Bowl favourite to perhaps probably the most inept workforce in soccer over their 1-6 end, the knives have been out for the pinnacle coach.
I ought to know. I used to be holding one in all them.
It isn’t simply that the Eagles fell aside. There was dissention within the locker room. The defensive coordinator was demoted midseason for a clumsy alternative. The offense all of the sudden misplaced the power to deal with even the best blitzes. The quarterback was sparring along with his head coach and a few of his gamers.
Regardless that Sirianni had led his workforce to the Tremendous Bowl the season earlier than, it was as ugly because it will get, and it was clear main adjustments have been coming. New coordinators would undoubtedly be employed, and it appeared unattainable to me that you could possibly preserve the present head coach whereas stripping away extra of his energy and giving it to a brand new offensive coordinator whereas additionally asking him to run a locker room whose tradition had fallen aside down the stretch.
How was this going to work? Why not wipe the slate clear and begin anew?
Proprietor Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman went the opposite approach. They stored Sirianni within the fold, doubtless with the understanding that he had one season to repair what was damaged as a CEO-head coach.
It didn’t look good by the primary 4 weeks. The Eagles went to Tampa and bought embarrassed 33-16 to fall to 2-2 heading into the bye wee. After the week off, they struggled to beat the hapless Browns at residence, 20-16, and Sirianni was caught jawing with followers strolling off the sector. The environment amongst a lot of the fanbase towards Sirianni was poisonous.
I ought to know. I used to be one in all them.
Quick ahead 9 weeks. The Eagles haven’t misplaced since that bye week, operating off a franchise report 10 wins in a row following their 27-13 rout of the 10-win Pittsburgh Steelers. They’ve outscored their opponents 263-135 over their final 9 video games and outgained them 376-239 yards on common throughout their 10-game profitable streak. They’ve the No. 1 protection within the NFL by way of yards allowed and 2nd-best by way of factors allowed.
Maybe most impressively, after per week wherein the workforce was embroiled within the form of personality-driven discord that was a part of what doomed them in 2023, Sirianni ably guided the workforce by all of it with aplomb.
The large receiver questions the passing sport and the star defensive finish suggests his franchise QB and WRs aren’t buddies anymore? All that distraction and noise which, to be clear, did not originate within the media, was dealt with fantastically by Sirianni, resulting in one of the well-coached victories we’ve seen throughout his 4 seasons in Philadelphia.
This week was Sirianni’s largest take a look at of the season, and he responded to the problem.
Look, I wished Nick Sirianni fired on the finish of final season, and yeah, I’d have been pleased to see him go after the Browns sport, too.
I used to be flawed.
The numbers converse for themselves. The man simply wins.
Sirianni’s profession profitable proportion of .708 ranks 5th all-time in NFL history. Solely Man Chamberlin, John Madden, Vince Lombardi and George Allen are higher. His 46-19 report as head coach of the Eagles offers him the very best profitable proportion amongst all lively head coaches.
I don’t know what actually occurred final 12 months after that 10-1 begin. Perhaps they have been simply exhausted from a protracted and finally crushing Tremendous Bowl run. Perhaps they didn’t know easy methods to carry out underneath the burden of their very own crushing expectations. Perhaps everyone simply needed to develop up slightly bit.
To beat all that drama, to have two new coordinators compelled upon you, and to be humble sufficient and prepared sufficient to not solely make work, however excel within the wake of all of it, that’s particular stuff.
There’s little question Sirianni will get over his skis occasionally. Heck, it occurred on Sunday after a silly Jalen Carter private foul name on that ill-advised Pittsburgh fourth quarter punt nearly gave the Steelers new life and resulted in the head coach needing to be handled by his fellow coaches on the sideline. Sirianni is a very emotional man on the sector and it has gotten him in some hassle previously. It in all probability will once more.
However contained in the locker room, it’s clear he’s in management. The messaging coming from the workforce following A.J. Brown’s statements and the BG feedback on WIP have been pitch good. The workforce got here out of the tunnel on Sunday afternoon decided to throw the ball with extra urgency, and so they did simply that.
They’ve taken on an “us vs. them” mentality. No matter works, guys!
Jalen Hurts, Brown, Devonta Smith, Kellen Moore and the offensive line additionally deserve a ton of credit score for his or her performances, however Sirianni can’t be ignored as a part of the answer. They performed their greatest sport of the season at a time when issues might have very simply gone off the rails.
Sirianni is under no circumstances good. He has made some dangerous calls with regard to going for it on fourth down, passing the ball when they need to have run it, a generally unimaginative offense and, sure, some behavioral points on the sidelines.
It’s clear his positives outweigh his negatives. The Eagles have a practical shot on the No. 1 seed within the NFC and a primary spherical bye. They could possibly be headed again to their second Tremendous Bowl in three seasons.
OK. I’ll admit it. I used to be flawed about Nick Sirianni.
I’m glad I used to be.
