Bulletin-Board Buzz Fizzles for Nick Sirianni
PHILADELPHIA - DeMarcus Lawrence spoke to reporters in North Texas on Thursday and correctly surmised that the Sunday night NFC East showdown between Dallas and the Eagles will be determined between the lines at Lincoln Financial Field.
After the star defensive end got a few too many questions about Philadelphia's second-ranked offense and the emergence of quarterback Jalen Hurts, however, Lawrence snapped back, and voila, a manufactured controversy was born.
“Has [Hurts] played us?’’ Lawrence asked rhetorically. “All right."
The Cowboys have the NFL's seventh-ranked defense and get after the quarterback better than anyone, leading the NFL in pressure percentage and standing No. 2 in sacks. Lawrence and the best young defender in the game, Micah Parsons, are behind that success.
“Different teams run different things and different schemes, you know what I’m saying? They’re going to put a different emphasis on things. All you all need to write is he hasn’t played the Cowboys yet, so we don’t know how good is he," Lawrence said of Hurts.
Through the first five games, the Eagles (5-0) have the better record but the Cowboys (4-1) have faced the better competition, at least the better-expected competition.
Dallas has played Tampa Bay, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Los Angeles Rams, the New York Giants, and Washington. The last two Super Bowl winners (the Bucs and Rams) and the reigning AFC champions (Bengals) had expected win totals set by Las Vegas of 10 or better before the season. No one the Eagles have played to date has had that expected win total.
The Cowboys have also had the Eagles' number in recent history and really got to Hurts early in the 2021 campaign, including a 59-yard pick-six by Trevon Diggs.
Lawrence, who has just three sacks against the Eagles in 14 career games, did acknowledge the obvious improvement Hurts has shown, however.
“I mean, I think he knows his system better," the veteran said. “He’s making better reads and stuff like that. But I think there are still areas he struggles in, so you know, just attack the areas."
Hurts has generated more total offense than any other NFC player and is on pace to shatter the single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a QB. The third-year pro has also generated more explosive plays than anyone else and has taken care of the football at an elite level.
Lawrence, though, is a typical pass rusher and is not necessarily concerned with Hurts' unique skill set.
“In all honesty, I really don’t think about things like that," Lawrence said of Hurts' running ability. “It’s just trying to put as much pressure on the quarterback, trying to make him uncomfortable as much as possible. There really ain’t no science to it.
"Football is playing at a high speed and being able to attack and be relentless for all four quarters. That’s what the game is all about."
The questions about Hurts kept coming and that's when Larence balked a bit.
“This is the last question I’ll hear about Hurts," he said. "For real because I really don’t care.
... Yes, it will be a good challenge for us. They do have a pretty good offense. Have a good receiver corps, a good quarterback, a good offensive line, so they are well-rounded. But also, We Dem Boyz. Remember that."
The sharks kept swimming and the frustration boiled over from there.
“There is nothing they do special, like, it’s just football, you know what I mean. It’s us reading our keys, playing our assignments. You’ve got to understand. The offensive line is taught to block us. If they can’t block us, then you know, there’s going to be a lot of chaos out there," Lawrence said. "You know, like, you’re asking me questions like I should be worried about them.
"Never worried, never scared, never quivering from any situation. I just want you all to understand we’re coming to play too."
Back in Philadelphia on Friday the first question lobbed at Nick Sirianni was about the "bulletin-board material" Lawrence teed up for the Eagles coach.
"I'm not really into bulletin board material, to be quite honest with you, because our greatest motivation is to play for each other," Sirianni said. "This team loves each other. This is what is making this team a special team, is that they're in it for each other and they're in it to not let each other down, to play for each other."
End manufactured controversy.
"DeMarcus Lawrence is a great football player and we're going to have to be ready for where he is no matter where he is on the field, so we know how good of a football player he is, and how good of a defense this is for that matter," said Sirianni. "But we're playing for each other, and that's our greatest motivation."
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
