The Joy Of Coaching: Eagles' Mentors Are Focused On The Little Things

NFL coaches have to look at the game a little differently.

Sep 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni reacts during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - For fans, the joys and pains of winning or losing in the NFL are easy to measure.

The scoreboard matters most, preferably with the kind of style points that are low-hanging fruit for the pundits to proclaim just how great the local favorites are from a national platform.

Coaches have a more pragmatic approach because of their job description, at least their self-anointed duties which differ from the real-world view of success vs. scapegoating.

Coaches have to get up every day from Charlotte to Kansas City with the same time on task whether the more likely goal is the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft or the Lombardi Trophy.

"I really truly get excited when mistakes happen because I know there's gonna be growth there,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said during the spring.

To say the least, that mindset is counterintuitive to those outside the coaching industry.

"We failed our expectations of what we wanted to do [in 2023], but it's going to make us better,” Sirianni explained. “There's steps to becoming great. If we win -- I'm not going to say this year because I don't like to think that way -- but let's just say it for this aspect. If we win, I guarantee we look back at that and say 'it's because of [2023].' 

“At some point, it's gonna be looked at that in my eyes."

For coaches in the NFL, joy is found through those more unique measuring sticks like that growth and often that’s measured by the little things that often go unnoticed. 

Over the first two weeks of the 2024 season, Eagles on SI was able to see three different Philadelphia coaches – the people person (Sirianni), the politician (offensive coordinator Kellen Moore), and the teacher (Jeff Stoutland) – veer out of character when the joys of coaching came up organically. 

For Sirianni, it was the four-minute offense that turned into a 7 ½-minute offense in Sao Paulo, Brazil during the 34-29 win over Green Bay.

This reporter asked the question and before it was even finished, Sirianni couldn’t help himself and broke in. 

“Isn't that a great thing, John?” Sirianni replied. “When you say four-minute and that much time came off the clock, that's like one of the coolest things that we have. We look at each other as coaches and are like, ‘That was awesome.’”

Typically Moore is the same flatline whether it’s discussing A.J. Brown’s 67-yard home run against the Packers or Saquon Barkley’s agonizing drop that cost Philadelphia in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Eagles OC Kellen Moore / John McMullen/Eagles Today

A successful former QB himself who once held about every high school QB record in the State of Washington as well as Boise State, it was Johnny Wilson’s blocking that lit up Moore with a smile worthy of a Cheshire cat.

“Yeah, Johnny did an awesome job, fired up. There's a bunch of highlight blocks in there,” Moore gushed after Week 1. “He took advantage of his 10 or so snaps. He's got a role for us. Obviously, it'll evolve as we go week in and week out from a run game perspective. In the pass game, he'll come alive as we go, and we're really excited about him.”

Last up was the teacher and Stoutland went deep into his respect for the rare sixth-year fledgling player still trying to find a consistent spot on the 53-man roster: practice squad veteran Brett Toth, a former Army Black Knight. 

Mekhi Becton and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland leave the field together with Stoutland giving Becton coaching pointers. / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

"Yeah, I'm glad you asked that question,” Stoutland said before veering off into Toth’s versatility and ability to play all five OL positions. 

However, what really got Stoutland was Toth’s hand strength.

“Now, this player you're talking about has some of the strongest hands in the group that I coach, and I mean that sincerely,” Stoutland said. “His hands and I don't know what they taught him at West Point, but he's probably a dangerous man. His hands are so violent and strong.”

Tracking Toth down in the Eagles’ locker room, he wouldn’t quite confirm that West Point turned him into a ready-made special ops machine but noted all the combat classes he had to take, along with years in the triple-option offense.

“That will build up your hands,” Toth smiled as he walked out of the locker room.

His next move? Likely the cafeteria put perhaps Ethan Hunt and the IMF need some help.

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