Nick Sirianni Knows the Danger a Desperate Packers Presents
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles will be dressed in all black with their new black helmets to pair with their black jerseys and pants on Sunday night when they host the Green Bay Packers in primetime.
It’s straight-up funeral attire, and maybe it will prove to be a good choice since Philly will try to bury the season of Aaron Rodgers and company.
Easier said than done, to be sure.
Green Bay is where the Eagles were last year, sitting at three games below .500.
One difference is that the Packers are at the low-water mark after 11 games at 4-7. The Eagles sat at 3-6 after nine games, so they had more time to turn things around.
And turn it around they did, winning six of their final eight games to make 9-8 and get into the playoffs.
If the Packers are going to have a similar resurgence, it has to start on Sunday night when they visit Lincoln Financial Field to take the Eagles.
There has been talk out of Green Bay that they are treating every game like it is a playoff game. Realistically though, another loss would drop them to 4-8 and in a division where the Minnesota Vikings rule the roost at 9-2, that would just about finish off the Packers, who won 13 games each of the last three years.
Head coach Nick Sirianni is wary of them and should be.
Even with a broken thumb, Aaron Rodgers is still playing and playing to win.
The Eagles coach remembers how difficult it was to climb back into the season, to save it when things looked bleak, and knows first-hand the danger a desperate team can present.
“I don’t think out of this building last year you ever heard if we don’t win this, we’re out of the playoffs,” he said on Friday morning. “First of all, you don’t know if that’s the case. Secondly, OK you say that you give yourself that ultimatum and what if you lose, then you’re packing up shop.
“I don’t think you ever heard that sentiment out of our building last year. The mountain is so high that we have to climb, and the hole we have to dig ourselves out of is so high how do you do that day by day by day by day?
“I think what that taught us in this year is you can’t worry about anything else but day by day. You learn from your past experiences, and it taught us that you have to be so locked in the moment.
"Whether you’re 9-1 or 3-6 whatever it may be you still can’t see the top of the mountain that you really want to get to. All you can see is a little bit at a time, and the higher you climb, the elements get harder no matter who you’re playing.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
