Despite Frustration, Players Continue Buying Into Rookie Head Coach's Message
PHILADELPHIA - None of the players brought up the Nick Sirianni flower when asked how the team meeting went on Wednesday.
Earlier, the Eagles head coach talked about a team meeting where he showed the players a picture of a flower with the roots spreading out underneath to create a strong foundation, but one that must be continually watered and fertilized.
It’s a message he hopes resonates and helps keep the team from cracking under the strain of a 2-5 record with the winless Detroit Lions up next on Sunday.
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“I just think coach, he voiced himself, he voiced his opinion,” said quarterback Jalen Hurts. “He felt like where we were at, and we all believed that. I believed that. We just want to build. It’s time. Why not now? Why not now? For us as a football team, why not go take that step? We’ve been urging to take. Why not do it now? I believe it.”
Tight end Dallas Goedert appreciated the message from Sirianni and echoed Hurts' thoughts that the Eagles are close to putting things together offensively.
"I thought we had a great meeting," he said. “Sirianni was really passionate, talking to the team, giving the message that we all needed to hear. Like I said in the postgame press conference, we’re close. He just hit on that. We’re really growing in the building.
“Our record might not show that, but like I said in the past, we’re close. He believes that. As a team, I think we believe that. We just gotta keep trusting in the process and go out there and continue to get better each and every day. Once we start rolling, we’re going to be rolling.”
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As Jason Kelce pointed out, there are a lot of young football players playing a lot of games, which means the onus to keep the team together during turbulent times also falls on veterans like him and others, especially the nine players who are still eft on the roster from the 2017 Super Bowl team.
“It's on the older guys that are here to continue to try to push that message of you know, we've been down before, we've been in last place in the division before,” said the veteran center.
“We've been through all of those things before and there is only one of two ways to go really, you either keep fighting, you keep believing in each other, you keep going out there and executing and trying to do your job better or you start pointing the finger and blaming other people. It goes south real quick if you do the other one so to me there is only one option.”
There will be no finger-pointing, according to CB Darius Slay.
"As a team, as a group, we’re all trying to stay together," he said. "We know how this game works, guys want to get ready to point fingers here, here and there and that.
"Nah, we’re all one, so we’re working together, trying to be better, do the best we can to help this team get wins, and (Sirianni) is trying to do the same thing, so we have the same mindset and the same goals."
Darius Slay said there will be no finger-pointing despite 2-5 record
Ed Kracz/SI.com Eagle Maven
Kelce has not noticed any change in the head coach, something he would likely be able to spot after 11 years in the league and playing for his fourth head coach, and that’s good.
It probably shows that Sirianni isn’t buckling under the pressure he is under from outside the building from fans and likely inside the NovaCare Complex as well.
And who knows, perhaps this firestorm will make Sirianni a better coach on the other side - if he is able to get to the other side.
"He's still being Nick,” said Kelce. “We're trying to preach the message of getting better every single day. Obviously, we're trying to figure out ways to get more productive on the field. We're doing things. We were more under center runs last week.
“We're trying to find ways to get this offense going and put up points and move the ball. Defensively, they're trying to do the same thing. I think that Nick is just really doing a good job at continuing to harp on the message that every single day, we're trying to get better. Coaches, players, everybody and that's all you can do. And that's what we're doing right now."
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.
