Eagles-Chiefs Preview: Nick Sirianni Explains History with Andy Reid
PHILADELPHIA – Andy Reid was unemployed for four days, from the time the Eagles fired him in early January of 2013 to when the Kansas City Chiefs hired him.
It didn’t take Reid to clean house after inheriting a Chiefs team that had just gone 2-14 under head coach Romeo Crennel. One of those coaches swept out was Nick Sirianni, whose first NFL job experience came in Kansas City four years earlier.
“Coach Reid was charged with the task of telling me I wasn't working there anymore,” said Sirianni, now the Eagles’ head coach, on Friday. “So, you know, but he was awesome. It was actually an awesome conversation I had with him. And I really respected the fact that he took time to meet with me, tell me what he had heard about me.
“But he had a guy, he had [Texans head coach] David Culley. And David Culley who's now, obviously, we know all know where he is. And so, you know, but he took the time to meet with me.”
Sirianni will get a chance to show how far he has come when he leads the Eagles against the Chiefs on Sunday (1 p.m./CBS) at Lincoln Financial Field. Both teams are on two-game losing streaks and sit at 1-2.
Reid can win his 100th game against his former team, for whom he won 140 games, including playoffs, in 14 seasons.
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In order to prevent that, the Eagles have to play a near-perfect game against the AFC Super Bowl representative the last two years one that won it all two years ago to give Reid his first world championship ring.
That means cutting down on penalties. They have a league-leading 35 of them.
That means forcing turnovers. They have only one.
That means stopping the run. The Eagles have the 26th-ranked rush defense.
That means running the ball. They gave it to their running backs just three times last week.
Even that might not be enough, though it should give them a chance.
The Chiefs ruled out defensive lineman Frank Clark, which could help. KC will also be without CB Charvarius Ward.
The Eagles have already had to dip into their offensive line depth, with Andre Mailata and Landon Dickerson making their second straight starts and another still-to-be-determined guard, either Sua Opeta or Nate Herbig the likely candidates.
“I'm confident in the guys that we have in this building, especially at that position, the depth that we have at that position,” said Sirianni on Friday. “…excited for these guys. Obviously, we're going to miss the guys that are going to be out. But excited for the opportunity for the guys that are about to play.”
As the Eagles’ season-ending injury list grew by one last week, with Isaac Seumalo joining Brandon Graham, so too does Sirianni’s visor, which now bears both players’ numbers, Seumalo’s 56 and Graham’s 55.
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The coach’s T-shirt game was strong again this week when he showed his support for LeSean McCoy, who retired on Friday as an Eagle. Sirianni wore a T-shirt with No. 25 on the back with McCoy’s name etched above.
“I’d just like to say how awesome it was to have LeSean McCoy over at practice (Friday), as he's announcing his retirement,” said Sirianni. “Just a huge fan of his and what he was as a running back and what he was for this city as an Eagle. You know, just remember so many plays that he was on highlights, making plays.”
Sirianni, of course, wore the Beat Dallas T-shirt last week and in previous weeks has worn T-shirts with the sun-glassed face of Jalen Hurts and one with Graham.
It makes for nice eye candy, but a more tasty sugary treat for the Eagles would be a win over a highly talented KC team.
It won’t be easy at all.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 31, Eagles 20
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
