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Tim McManus, ESPN Staff WriterOct 13, 2024, 06:56 PM ET
- Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine’s Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @Tim_McManus.
PHILADELPHIA — Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was seen on camera yelling and gesturing toward a group of fans at the end of Sunday’s 20-16 home win over the Cleveland Browns as boos rained down for parts of a game in which the offense sputtered at times and the talent-rich Eagles struggled to separate from the now 1-5 Browns.
Sirianni, wearing a wry smile and offering a wink, said he was “just excited to get the win” in explaining his interaction with the fans and praised the crowd for being loud and inducing a couple of Cleveland false-start penalties.
But when asked about the jeering the Eagles received in their home stadium, Sirianni acknowledged they could do without the negativity.
“We thrive off the crowd when they cheer for us. That’s all I’ll say,” Sirianni said. “We hear them when they boo. We don’t necessarily like it. I don’t think that’s productive for anybody. But when they cheer for us and when we’ve got them rolling, we love it.”
Sirianni has been a subject of criticism following last season’s collapse, when an Eagles team that started 10-1 skidded to a 1-6 finish, leading to the firing of his offensive and defensive coordinators.
The on-field product this season has left something to be desired.
The offense has been a point of frustration given the level of talent — the group boasts one of the best offensive lines in football and features A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley at the skill positions — versus the results to this point.
Since scoring 34 points in the opener against the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles have averaged 18 points in the four games since. Brown, though, has appeared in only two games because of injury, and other top players such as Smith and tackle Lane Johnson also have missed time.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni looks on during his team’s win over the Cleveland Browns. Getty Images
Although not overwhelming, there were some sections of the crowd that started “Fire Nick” chants during a couple of down moments in the game.
And Sirianni was by far the most demonstrative he has been on the sideline this year. He jawed with multiple Browns defensive backs, including corner Greg Newsome II, and grew animated with referees on multiple occasions.
Before Sunday, he had toned down his behavior, cognizant that going after the refs in particular can send the wrong message to his players. Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie noted of Sirianni this offseason that “it can be a little bit counterproductive if he overdoes his own passion,” adding that it is about finding the “sweet spot” between bringing that passion while not overdoing it.
Sirianni revealed Sunday that the return of his fiery demeanor was at the behest of some of his players.
“I was having fun. And I kind of got some feedback from the guys, the sense of like, ‘We need you back, Nick. We need your energy. We need your focus,'” he said. “I’ve gotten that from a couple players. When I’m operating and having fun, I think that breeds to the rest of the football team. If I want the guys to celebrate and be themselves after big plays, then I should probably do that myself, right?
“Now there’s times for that and times not for that. I have to have wisdom and discernment of when to do that and when not to do that.”
Quarterback Jalen Hurts said he was one of the players who encouraged Sirianni to be himself.
“It’s a reassurance of, we trust who you are. We trust where you are as a coach, and we know we can build with you. It’s about doing it together,” Hurts said. “I’m excited for him and his growth and continue to see where he’s going, and I think it will continue to help our football team.”
