Eagles Have Nick Sirianni's Back: "I'm Excited About The Direction Coach Is Going"

The Eagles players never lost faith in head coach Nick Sirianni after a rocky week, but instead had their best week of practice and blew out the Giants. Does that change anyone's opinion?

Oct 20, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and head coach Nick Sirianni pregame against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – He had been vilified by NFL watchers everywhere across the nation, from experts to social media trolls for his boorish behavior in last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns and then showing up at his postgame press conference flanked by his three young children.

Perhaps nowhere did Eagles coach Nick Sirianni catch more flak than right here in the backyards of fans in Philadelphia and its suburbs to South Jersey to Delaware. Most, if not all Bird watchers, wanted him gone.

Does a 28-3 hammering of a division rival on Sunday change anyone’s minds? Sure, the Giants are a bad team – again. What was impressive, however, was the players circled the wagons around their head coach, insolating him from the outside noise, stalling the pitchfork carries and torch wavers at the gate.

The players have Sirianni’s back, and they showed it by having their best practice of the week. Forget it was the Giants and Browns. Coming out of the bye the Eagles are 2-0 and this could be a launching point to another NFC East title, especially with a slew of home games waiting for them on the other side October.

“He knows that I'm behind him and he knows that communication is important amongst this team sport,” said quarterback Jalen Hurts. “He's been doing a really good job of doing that.”

Connecting is one of Sirianni’s core principles, and in tough times like last week, that pillar stood strong.

“Anyone can connect in good times,” he said. “You work to connect, so you can get together closer as a team in bad times.”

Social media and TV screens were filled with Sirianni and his antics last week, but he learned. Is that what you want from not just an NFL head coach, but is that a life lesson for everyone walking this earth, to learn from mistakes?

Oct 20, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and head coach Nick Sirianni pregame against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

“There was a bunch of different ways that I learned this week,” said Sirianni. “It wasn't just through the situation that I was in. I'm not even going to go into all that … If you really are holding onto anger, all anger does is cloud your ability to get better and control the things that you need to control.

“So, what I said to the team is I put my head down. ‘When you have criticism when you have those different things, you put your head down and you work even harder.’”

You wonder if the anything will be shown of the poignant moment during a physical game against a division rival when Sirianni took a seat on the bench next to Saquon Barkley with the blowout in place after three quarters.

The coach asked his running back if he wanted to go back into a game that had been turned into a 28-3 blowout against the New York Giants on Sunday.

Barkley’s said: “Let the young guys eat.”

Sirianni responded: “You're special, dude.”

That’s connecting, and is it any wonder the players still have their coach’s back?

“I feel like he's really coming with a good intensity, intentionality and trying to deliver good messages for us to be focused and be on the same page,” said Hurts. “He's also apologetic when he needs to be. I'm excited about the direction we're going in. I'm excited about the direction coach is going in with everything, too.”

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