The Eagles head coach took responsibility for all the mistakes on the field, and called Jalen Hurts a winner no less than 10 times.
The Eagles kept getting in their own way with mistakes and poor decisions on Sunday against the Saints, but were able to pull it off in the fourth quarter to leave New Orleans 2-1. Head coach Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters after the game, and there was no shortage of accountability on his part, and a lot of pride for his players.
When asked about this team coming off their loss to the Falcons, Sirianni called them resilient.
“Resilient team. Resilient men on this team. Last week was rough. Last week is something that our guys had to pick ourselves up off the mat, and every one of them did. And, you get better from your work, and you get better from your experiences, and sometimes losing, you grow a little bit more from that — not that you want to do it, but you grow a little bit more from that.
These guys got better this week. When we talk about handling adversity, we talk about having the right mindset. You can have a victim mindset, which I think the world wants you to have, or look at the negatives, which essentially the world wants you to have, or you can have a purpose mindset. And, a purpose mindset is knowing that through bad things that happen, that if you let it, you’ll get better.”
He went on to say that the team also focused on controlling what they can control this week, and not listening to any of the outside noise.
Sirianni talked about how proud he was of the team, and how they were resilient as a collective. Whether it was an interception, a fumble, or the head coach’s decision to go for it on fourth down, they were able to persevere and he’s really proud of them for that. He also noted that Saquon Barkley, Jordan Mailata, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson each came up to him during the game and told him they have his back.
He said this was a big win, and one that they’ll remember — it’s definitely a win that will bring the team closer together.
Still, Sirianni admitted that they’ve talked about winning like this is not sustainable. They talked about it after the Green Bay game, and again after Sunday’s win — they can’t keep losing the turnover battle.
The head coach became emotional talking about the Eagles’ defense, highlighting that Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis had great games after so many people questioned them during the week. He acknowledged that they see and hear everything, even though they try not to, and those guys went out and responded by controlling what they could during the week and being ready to play.
Later on, unprompted, Sirianni explained that it was him, not OC Kellen Moore, who called the 4th-and-1 fake Brotherly Shove play that failed to convert just before halftime.
“I called that play at the end of the half. Kellen [Moore] did not. I called it.”
The head coach was asked why he made that call, and he said it was what he thought was best for the football team.
“That was my decision. I did it. It didn’t work and I’ll get better from it.”
Sirianni was trying his best to carry a load of accountability, saying that every mistake a player makes is ultimately his fault, including Jalen Hurts’ interception. He grew up around the game, and grew up knowing that as a coach, anything that happens on the field is a his responsibility.
“That’s what being a man’s about — taking responsibility for the shit you’re in charge of.”
He did admit, however, that Hurts’ fumble is something the QB will learn from, but he has to get two hands on the ball.
Still, Sirianni went on to praise Hurts and how he handles himself among adversity. He repeatedly called the QB a winner, and said he’s someone who stays super level-headed.
“Jalen Hurts is a freaking winner, and he won today.”
