Eagles About To Wrap Up A Different Bye Week

PHILADELPHIA - When the Eagles players return from their bye week, the goal is to have the same sense of urgency as last season when an earlier incarnation of the week off sparked a historic run of 16 wins in 17 games en route to a Super Bowl LIX championship.

The differences this time around are not only a month on the calendar from Week 5 to Week 9, but also a .500 record (2-2) to a .750 one (6-2), and the human nature aspect of coming off an awful performance in Tampa last season vs. a two-game winning streak over Minnesota and the New York Giants in 2025, games in which Jalen Hurts, and the offense have looked unstoppable at times.

The bye week always serves as a valuable week to look inward and self-scout in an effort to maximize the talent currently on hand vs. the weekly NFL grind of preparing for the next opponent.

“I always think that this bye week sets you up for some things for the rest of the season, so it’s really an important week,” head coach Nick Sirianni said.

Hurdle No. 1 is honesty, and the idea is to remain open-minded after wins, something that is more difficult than making needed corrections after a setback.

However, Sirianni prides himself on the Eagles’ bye-week process. History says there is bite to that bark.

Impressive Bye-Week History

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

The Eagles are 6-1 under Sirianni after conventional bye weeks, with the only loss coming in Super Bowl LVII. If you include season openers, which the staff also has extended time to prepare, that number increases to 11-1 in the Sirianni era.

Sirianni spoke about his successful bye-week process earlier this week.

“I think it’s so important that we are completely locked in and focused on finding ways to get better,” the coach said. “Identifying issues, identifying strengths.

“... We’ve benefited from this week in the past, whether that be going into playoffs or whether it’s in the regular season.”

Arguably, the on-field big shift this season already took place during a mini-bye between a Thursday night loss at MetLife Stadium to the Giants and a Week 7 win at Minnesota, when Philadelphia went more traditional play-action.

The Eagles, who typically get more unscouted looks than anyone else as the reigning Super Bowl champions, turned the tables against the Vikings and only amped that up against the Giants in the rematch last Sunday.

“It’s that same motivation and same hunger to do everything that we can do to help improve the football team,” Sirianni said of extra time.

With the big on-field tweak already unveiled, the actual bye week this time around might be more about the players recharging their batteries.

“For players, it’s about being away, resting their bodies, taking care of their bodies, doing some extra stuff themselves as far as their mental preparation for the rest of the season,” the coach noted.

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