Sirianni has a critical message to his players after 2-0 start

[time2rock]

Sirianni has a critical message to his players after 2-0 start

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

Just like that, the Eagles are everybody’s favorite team.

A commanding win over the Vikings on the heels of an opening-day victory in Detroit has the Eagles 2-0 and ranked third or fourth in the NFL by USA Today, The Athletic, Fox Sports, NFL.com and the Sporting News, and either the No. 1 or No. 2 team in the NFC (behind Tampa Bay).

They’re one of only six undefeated teams, they’re 8-2 in their last 10 games with Jalen Hurts at quarterback and their next 10 games are against teams that have won a combined seven games so far.

It can be a lot for a team to handle, and that’s why Nick Sirianni’s message to his players this week was to ignore every single bit of it, focus on the daily grind and don’t lose sight of how the Eagles got to 2-0.

"We talked about the weekly process and not skipping steps or anything like that,” he said Wednesday. "I think when you focus on the process of the week and all those things, you don’t get affected by the outside noise. 

"Obviously, people are telling us how good we are now. Last year at this time people were telling us how bad we were.”

A year ago, the Eagles were 2-5 and the message was exactly the same.

Just don’t listen.

And we all know how they responded. They finished 7-2 to lock up a playoff berth in Sirianni and Hurts’ first season together.

"When you truly are in the moment and focusing on what you have to do for that day, people can tell you whatever they want,” Sirianni said. "Your job today is to do this and not to skip any steps, and, OK, if we’re as competitive as we say we are in this room and as we preach in this room, then I don’t care if you’re 2-0 or 0-2, if you won 24-7 or lost 24-7, you’re going to come out and want to take the guy your playing’s heart away from him this next game.

"And I don’t care if you’re playing a 1-on-1 basketball game – what did I get my balls busted about last year, rock, paper, scissors? – I don’t care what it is, you are going to go and try to win that competition and so when you can stay true to your core values and what’s important for a week, all the outside noise and all the waves of the season (won’t matter).”

All a 2-0 record guarantees the Eagles is that they'll finish 2-15 at worst – no matter what all those rankings say. And Sirianni is going to keep reminding his players of that.

"You see every year that a team starts out 5-0 or 5-1 and they fall off," he said. "You see every year that a team starts slow and they build. We’re so early in this. There’s so much time to build. We are truly in the business of getting better every day. Me included.

"We know in this league there’s so many teams that start fast and then they fizzle off. Our focus – and I sound like a broken record – is trying to get better each day. We never come off a game and say, ‘Well, that was good enough.’ That’s not how we operate.”

We’ve all seen teams that start buying into the hype, and that never turns out well. 

Sirianni said he doesn’t worry about this team falling into that trap and said he loves the guidance and leadership he gets from team captains Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Darius Slay and Jake Elliott.

He singled out Johnson, Graham, Cox and Kelce, who all starred on the 2017 team that won the Super Bowl.

"Our captains are special,” he said. "They’ve been to the top of the mountain, most of our captains, and know what it takes to get to the top of the mountain and plant that Eagle flag at the top of the mountain.”

"I feel like I have a unique situation with four guys on the offensive and defensive lines who’ve been in the battle in the trenches and got to the top. They know and they help preach every message, and they’re just great leaders.”

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/nick-sirianni-has-critical-message-his-players-after-hot-start

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Week by week. This team hasn't earned the right to get carried away yet. They've made a fantastic start to the year and there is reason to be optimistic no doubt. But this team still has a lot to prove. They aren't the Chiefs, the Bills, the Packers (regular season not play offs). They can't afford to get carried away. 

[nipples]

I’m just becoming more certain each week that Sirianni was exactly the coach they needed. Between him and Hurts, they’ve built a great locker room culture and those two are 100% on the same page delivering the same message. And the rest of the team is following that lead. 

[time2rock]

Sirianni's biggest challenge now is to make sure the players aren't "smelling themselves" after a hard fought win in Detroit and then an arsewhooping of the Vikings on Monday.  Gotta keep the pedal to the metal with regard to training, preparation, etc.  Fortunately he has veteran players like Kelce who will help to keep the team in check.  

[EricAllenPick6]

1 hour ago, nipples said:

I’m just becoming more certain each week that Sirianni was exactly the coach they needed. Between him and Hurts, they’ve built a great locker room culture and those two are 100% on the same page delivering the same message. And the rest of the team is following that lead. 

Yeah, isn't is something?  I think the whole NFL laughed at us when we hired Siri.  Hell, I think even Eagle fans were laughing at the decision thinking Siri is a boneheaded idiot who is not ready for this job.  Yet, he just happens to say things that resonate with the players.  Even that stupid flower comment is something that I think the players really responded to.  

I still feel like the Commanders game feels like a trap, but at least these guys are publicly saying the right things.

[birdman#12]

This is a quality of Jalen Hurts that everybody should be seeing.  The guy is emotionally level.....exactly what an offense and a team needs.  I'm sure he was happy with his performance, but he wasn't entirely satisfied.  And he knows that they haven't won anything but 2 games..

Momentum is a cyclical thing in the NFL.....some teams come out  of the gate storming, only to stumble and bumble in the 2nd half of the year.....some teams do the opposite.  That's why consistency, while very difficult to achieve, is so important in the NFL......consistency not only in performance, but in the mental outlook during the season.  

The eagles have some veterans, like the article said, that should be able to temper any overconfidence.......NFL season is a long grind with each game having individual importance to the playoff picture......Right now, all that matters is beating the foreskins.........a divisional opponent.  

[Portyansky]

1 hour ago, time2rock said:

Sirianni's biggest challenge now is to make sure the players aren't "smelling themselves" after a hard fought win in Detroit and then an arsewhooping of the Vikings on Monday.  Gotta keep the pedal to the metal with regard to training, preparation, etc.  Fortunately he has veteran players like Kelce who will help to keep the team in check.  

Exactly. I think playing a division rival after such a win will help with the focus. Plus you add in the Wentz factor, they should be extra motivated. 

[time2rock]

6 minutes ago, Portyansky said:

Exactly. I think playing a division rival after such a win will help with the focus. Plus you add in the Wentz factor, they should be extra motivated. 

I don't ever think of any game as a likely win (especially games within the division) but it will be a complete disappointment if we come out flat and lay an egg Sunday.  Gut says that isn't going to happen but truth told, I'll still be disappointed if we play relatively well but still lose.  I really want to believe in Hurts and this team - building on the momentum they've developed recently will go a long way toward that.  

[nipples]

2 hours ago, EricAllenPick6 said:

Yeah, isn't is something?  I think the whole NFL laughed at us when we hired Siri.  Hell, I think even Eagle fans were laughing at the decision thinking Siri is a boneheaded idiot who is not ready for this job.  Yet, he just happens to say things that resonate with the players.  Even that stupid flower comment is something that I think the players really responded to.  

I still feel like the Commanders game feels like a trap, but at least these guys are publicly saying the right things.

I can’t see a divisional game against their former QB as a "trap.”

[time2rock]

7 minutes ago, nipples said:

I can’t see a divisional game against their former QB as a "trap.”

"Trap" ... no.  

But overconfident after whooping Minny and then seeing all the praise being showered on them (Super Bowl contenders, Hurts MVP candidate, power rankings in top 5, etc.) perhaps.  

[PoconoDon]

Players - Find your press clippings that are overflowing with praise...and burn them. Now, get to work. The Commanders are waiting for you.

[birdman#12]

I've seen enough NFC East games where a team is coming in hot and inexplicably plays poorly.......then there are the fluky plays and some nobody having a career day......the NFC East is whacky......