Eagles Coach on the Verge of the Ultimate Victory
Nick Sirianni has always been a football guy. Growing up a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Sirianni finds himself one win away from bringing the other Pennsylvania team, the Philadelphia Eagles, to football glory and a Super Bowl title.
Raised in a Football Family
His family is one of coaches. His father Fran, and his brothers Mike and Jay have all been coaches of men playing football at various levels. But none have experienced the ascension to the top of their sport like Nick. At 41, Sirianni has turned the Eagles around after Doug Pederson seemingly lost the team in 2020 while compiling a 4-11-1 record and a last place finish in the NFC East.
Pederson won a Super Bowl title with the Eagles in 2017, defeating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 41-33. Philadelphia then went 9-7 in both 2018 and 2019. But the decline was worse in 2020 and it was time for a change.
Enter Nick Sirianni. He turned the team around immediately going 9-8 in the NFL’s first year of a 17 game season. They made the playoffs but lost to a more experienced Tom Brady led team at Tampa Bay 31-15 in the wildcard round- a game no one really expected them to win. But Sirianni had gotten the team back on track. Jalen Hurts was now their starting QB and Sirianni had them poised to be much better in 2022. And better they were.
NFLs Best Record
Sharing the NFL’s best record with the Kansas City Chiefs at 14-3, the Eagles were clearly the NFL’s most dominant team all season long. If not for a shoulder sprain to Hurts against the Chicago Bears in week 15, the Eagles likely would have had the best overall record to themselves. But the holidays were not so jolly for Philly this past year as they lost to their rival Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Eve and then to the already eliminated New Orleans Saints on New Years Day. But they had all but sewn up the number one seed prior to those two losses and resting Hurts to prepare for their playoff run was obviously priority number one.
They beat the Giants in the season finale 22-16. After a week of rest with the first round bye, they beat the Giants again in the divisional round, this time showing their muscle much more by trouncing the upstart Giants and their first year coach and eventual coach of the year, Brian Daboll 38-7.
Snubbed for Coach of the Year?
Speaking of the NFL’s Coach of the Year award, Sirianni was surprisingly not even nominated. Projected in most circles to be a nine win team in 2022, the Eagles outdid the estimates by five games winning 14. In comparison the actual winner of the award Brian Daboll of the Giants won 9 games when projections had them winning 6 or 7 games. Was Sirianni slighted by not even being mentioned for the award? I would have to say yes. But I am guessing he would rather bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Philadelphia than any individual accolades.
Everything Coming up Roses
Sirianni used an interesting analogy to his team during tough times in his first year in 2021. He said that like a flower, the team needs strong roots and for everyone to do their job. He likened doing your job as a player or coach to watering and fertilizing, saying that when things came together it would be like a flower popping from the ground. Well the Eagles sure have broken through in 2022, and have blossomed into the NFC representative for this years Super Bowl to be played February 12th in Glendale Arizona.
There will be a lot on the line for Sirianni two weeks from now when they meet the Kansas City Chiefs.
His contract with the Eagles is reportedly in the area of $6 million a year thru 2025. So an increase in pay and extension of years may be in order if they do get the Super Bowl win. And don’t forget another bonus winners in Philadelphia get…Cheese Steaks for life.
Caz Celeste
BackSportsPage
