Embattled Eagles Coach 'Let Them Know'

A strange Nick Sirianni press conference overshadowed a 20-16 win over Cleveland.

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni reacts to the touchdown pass and catch of quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - The Nick Sirianni, with kids in tow, who showed up at the Eagles’ postgame press conference on Sunday after a win – albeit a tough 20-16 one over a Cleveland Browns team waiting to be pronounced – was all over the map.

Typically a frequent questioner at any Sirianni presser my decision was to take a step back to watch the reboot of “The Surreal Life” and focus on the body language of two important Eagles execs who spend significant time around Sirianni.

One at least had a tough time no-selling what was going on when the questioning predictably focused on Sirianni’s sideline behavior.

The embattled head coach unfurled a Hulk Hogan-like cupping of the ear to taunt a few of his own fans who spent large parts of Sunday afternoon booing Sirianni’s team and trying to get a faint “Fire Nick” chant to catch on.

It should be noted that the players around Sirianni's admittedly childish reaction to dunking after a less-than-aesthetic victory were enjoying the outburst, most notably Brandon Graham, Nick Gates, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Eagles HC Nick Sirianni appears to have some words towards the crowd as the clocked ticked down in the Philly victory. pic.twitter.com/XILkMvVamD

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 13, 2024

It’s not the first time Sirianni brought his young children to a press conference after a win. However, considering what had just happened many took that baton to speculate that Jacob, Taylor, and Miles Sirianni were up there as a shield to deflect from what this team has become on the field.

If that was the intent, it didn’t work and all the obvious questions were lobbed past the Sirianni children to their dad with the only thing accomplished being Nick forced to apologize for using an expletive.

The coach’s answers were often tangential, some admirable like the now weekly falling on the shield for every poor outcome fans tie to play-calling, some old standards about Jamestown, N.Y., and the love of the game, and others bizarre like admitting it was the players wanting the “old Nick” energy back.

“I don't know who all said it. I know I spoke to him,” quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “It’s just a reassurance of, you know, we trust who you are. We trust where you are as a coach, and we know we can build with you. So it's about doing it together.”

Gardner-Johnson went even further.

“Everybody doubts him and the people that don’t doubt him is us.,” said Gardner-Johnson. “I don’t think you guys know how much shit he takes on the daily and we gotta back him up for it. I’m proud that he’s my coach and nobody else is my coach.”

In the end, my working thesis is that large swathes of the Philadelphia fan base have tired of Sirianni’s act, and for the first time that’s become reciprocal.

No one understands the city better than Graham, who was fresh off his record 200th game as an Eagle, somehow navigating all the slings and arrows of being a “draft bust” early in his career to his current status as a franchise legend.

“I just told him to be him. I need him to be 2022 Nick so we can get there because we just want people to be themself,” Graham said. “At the end of the day, coach been taking a ton of heat and I understand coach got a lot of stuff on him. 

“We got his back because Philly can be hard. I know all about it. How I do it every day. I always said they gonna eat the words they say and so I know that what Nick probably saying to and every change that you get you let them know just like I would.”

For better or worse, on Sunday, Sirianni “let them know.”

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