The Eagles are officially on bye week and are able to get some much needed rest, but head coach Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters one last time before the break and explained how it’s not a time for them to relax. He explained that it’s a time for players to take a step back and reset, but the coaches will have a lot of work to do this week as they handle self-scouting and future planning.
There were also a few things that he didn’t really care to talk about, including the errant whistle during the missed field goal attempt — explaining that the conversations between himself and officials should stay on the sideline —, and the meaning behind giving out a cowbell in the locker room after the game.
Here’s some of the things the head coach did talk about:
On his bye week message
“I think it’s so important that we are completely locked in and focused on finding ways to get better. Identifying issues, identifying strengths, and this is a really important week. We’ve benefited from this week in the past, whether that be going into playoffs or whether it’s in the regular season. It’s that same motivation and same hunger to do everything that we can do to help improve the football team. For players, it’s about being away, resting their bodies, taking care of their bodies, doing some extra stuff themselves as far as their mental preparation for the rest of the season. I always think that this bye week sets you up for some things for the rest of the season, so it’s really an important week.“
Sirianni later said that there’s never really a perfect time for a bye week – noting last year, Week 5 was it, and their mindset this year is that Week 9 is the perfect time. He stressed that they only focus on the things they can control and handle every situation accordingly.
His process for the bye week has evolved over time and is a culmination of his NFL experience. The head coach explained constantly being in a growth mindset and focusing on how to get better at your process.
“I think human nature could be, ‘Hey, we don’t have a game this week,’ and have a tendency to relax. That’s just not the way we think and that’s just not the way we’re about to go about our business. This week will be about finding ways to get better, identifying issues that we know we have, identifying strengths that we know we have, and tendencies, and looking for ways to improve on those things.”
On Nakobe Dean’s return
“Always great to have him on the field. Guys love playing with and for Nakobe [Dean], so love that linebacker group that we have. It’s great to have him back on the field contributing. Obviously, he’s been very important for us for the past four years, and again, works his butt off, always constantly preparing, doing all the necessary things that getting better requires. Just love having him back and ready to go.”
On Kevin Patullo’s performance
“I think he’s done a good job of continuing to get better, just like our players. Every team is a new team, so there’s a growth period whether it’s a first-time play caller or not, there’s a growth period within each year for the players, for the coaches, everything. That’s what the first weeks of the season are for is to find ways to win, find ways to get better, and really be in that continual growth mindset all the way through, so you’re playing your best football in November, December, and January, hopefully.“
Other notables
- Sirianni said that the bye week doesn’t give any sort of benefit coming right before the trade deadline, and discussions about the roster and depth chart are had with Howie Roseman all the time.
- The head coach felt like Saquon Barkley was close to having a game like the one he did on Sunday against the Giants, and now that the run game popped, they hope to build off that and continue to develop.
- He wouldn’t talk too much about how their game planning unfolds throughout the week, specifically as it relates to their approach to the run game last week, but did say that it starts with the defense they are playing, the players they have, and the techniques they use. Sirianni said the Eagles’ OL is talented enough to do different things schematically, but they also need staples they can always turn to.
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