Bleeding Green Nation
The Eagles head coach spoke to reporters after their Week 8 win and talked about how important it is to win the turnover battle, and noted what makes Jalen Hurts so impressive.
The Eagles had a big win over the Bengals, and finished the game really strong. Head coach Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters before the team left Cincinnati, and talked about the physicality of the football team, how important it is for them to win the turn-over battle, and talked about the performances by Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith.
Here’s what the head coach had to say:
“I think we have a physical football team.”
Sirianni gave credit to the Bengals for being a really good football team, but thought that the Eagles seven-minute drive in the second-half was really well-executed, resulted in points, and acknowledged OC Kellen Moore did a great job with the play calls.
“Great job by Jalen [Hurts] for executing that. That’s not always the easiest thing, when you’re taking the clock down, and then unbelievable job in our run game — and we threw the ball when we needed to. So, good job there.”
The head coach later said that the team was excited post-game in the locker room. He explained that it’s really hard to win in this league — whether it’s a blow-out or by just a point —, and they put everything they have into this game every week. Sirianni said he’s proud of the team for being mentally tough and for getting the win on Sunday.
He also admitted that Jalen Hurts being under center and doing a little more play-action was by design.
“I think the identity of this football team is physical and that’s what we’re going to try and play by each week, is physical. Now, when you say physical, that doesn’t mean you have to run it every time — you run it, you pass it, you can be physical in both aspects.
On the long touchdown pass to DeVonta [Smith], Jack Stoll was physical on that block on the perimeter. Wait until you see that one again, where you’re watching Jack Stoll block the perimeter and giving Jalen [Hurts] enough time to make a perfect throw and somebody to make a big-time catch.”
Sirianni went on to note that he thinks identity gets overblown, because really their identity is to play with great detail, to play physical with great toughness, and to play together. Everything else, is going to change every week, every game.
“He made clutch catches.”
Sirianni explained that it wasn’t really a surprise that Smith had a big game, especially coming off a one catch for -2 yard performance last week. The head coach noted that the last time Smith was shut out of a game, he came back with a big game the week after. Having up and down weeks is...
