A few of his players asked Nick Sirianni to be himself.
Unfortunately, he was listening.
Sirianni was caught on the FOX TV show Eagles-Browns having an animated shouting match with fans at the Linc in the final seconds of the Eagles’ win on Sunday.
The video shows Sirianni raising his hand to his ear in a sarcastic manner to indicate, “I can’t hear you.”
Earlier in the game, fans booed and chanted for Sirianni’s ejection when the Eagles were held scoreless in the first quarter for the seventh straight game, something they haven’t done in 30 years.
They won 20-16 over the 1-5 Browns, improving to 3-2 but are just 4-7 in their last 11 games dating back to last year’s collapse.
Sirianni refused to go into any detail about what led to his antics after the match, but this is not the first time he has appeared disturbed in the final moments of a match. It usually happens on the road.
“I was having fun,” Sirianni said after the match, surrounded by his three children in a bizarre news conference. “I was having fun and got some comments from the players (during the bye week) about feeling like we need you back, Nick.” We need your energy. We need your focus. I’ve gotten that from some guys.
“When I’m in action, and I’m having fun, I think that affects the rest of the football team. If I want the players to celebrate and be themselves after big plays, I should probably do it myself, right?
“There are times for that and times not for that. I have to be wise and discerning about when to do it and when not to do it.”
He may have been having fun, but this kind of behavior is unusual for NFL head coaches, and not a good look for a man who is always preaching to his players.
Can you imagine John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, Demeco Ryans, Andy Reid, or Todd Bowles making faces at the fans and screaming and screaming in the stands after the game?
There are certain professional standards that NFL coaches are expected to adhere to, and it’s hard to imagine Jeff Lurie enjoying this type of behavior from his head coach.
Sirianni could also be seen barking with Browns cornerbacks Greg Newsome and Denzel Ward when they were near the Eagles’ sideline, but that seemed like a nice thing to do.
Sirianni said during the offseason that he wanted to be more restrained on the sidelines during games, especially in his interactions with officials. And it was like that most of the time.
Not Sunday.
After his 200thy In a game in an Eagles uniform, Brandon Graham said he was one of the players who asked Sirianni to be himself, and he was near Sirianni as the final seconds ticked away and was screaming into the stands.
“I just told him to be him,” PJ said. “I want him to be the Knick of 2022, so we can get there. Because we just want people to be themselves. At the end of the day, the coach was under a bunch of pressure, and I understand he has a lot of things on him. We backed him, because Philadelphia can be tough.” And I know everything about her.
“I’ve always said (his critics) will eat up the words they say. And so I know that’s probably what Nick says too, every chance he gets. … I don’t know what he said but I know it had something to do with it.
Jalen Hurts said he talked to Sirianni during the bye week about being true to himself and not trying to be something he’s not.
It’s a fine line between showing emotion and being yourself and overdoing it and being unprofessional.
“It’s just reassurance to say, ‘We trust your identity,’” Hurts said. “We trust where you are as a coach, and we know we can build with you. So it’s about doing it together. And I think for him, and I think for any leader, it’s about vision and trusting that vision.”
“He’s done a really good job of being able to have conversations and try to map things out honestly and some things take time. But it’s a team effort from everyone, and everyone has to control their box. Everyone has to respect their role, embrace their role, and give their best.”
“I’m excited for him and his growth and continue to see where he’s going, and I believe he will continue to help our football team.”
Sirianni must be doing something right because the Eagles have reached the playoffs in all three of his seasons as head coach, reaching the Super Bowl two years ago, and their 37-19 record since 2021 is 5y-Best in the NFL. His career winning percentage of .661 is 15y-Highest in NFL history. They are currently in a phase where they face seven teams with a combined record of 14-27.
But at some point everyone gets booed, and criticizing fans isn’t necessarily the best way to deal with it.
There’s no easier way to lose fans than to bash them after barely beating one of the worst teams in the NFL.
“We thrive on the fans when they cheer for us, that’s all I’ll say,” Sirianni said. “When our fans are cheering us on, we thrive on them. You know, we hear them when they’re booing. We don’t necessarily like that. I don’t think that’s productive for anyone.”
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