Nick Sirianni: ‘We have to put the players in better positions to succeed’ vs. Cowboys

Over the last couple of weeks, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has used descriptors like “stoic” and “confident” when discussing offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.

Throughout his first season as the team’s play-caller, Johnson has held on tightly to those traits while he has received scrutiny from NFL fans and pundits. Johnson inherited an offense that retained nine of 11 starters, including a unit that featured All-Pro talent at offensive line, wide receiver, and quarterback. Through 12 contests, the Eagles (10-2) rank ninth in total offense (361.7 yards per game) and fourth in scoring (27.4 points per game).

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To Johnson’s credit, the Eagles have improved weekly in red-zone efficiency dating back to Week 4, when they ranked as low as 27th in the NFL. Entering this weekend, the Eagles rank ninth (61.7%) in red-zone scoring.

While defensive deficiencies proved to be the Eagles’ biggest issue in their 42-19 loss to the 49ers, their lack of execution in the red zone crept back and bit them again. The team’s first two drives stalled in that part of the field and resulted in a pair of field goals from kicker Jake Elliott. In the second quarter, the Niners finished off their first of six straight touchdown drives to effectively put the game away.

As the Eagles’ concentration turns to their next opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, Johnson and his players are left to imagine: What if they went up 14-0 rather than 6-0?

“We talk about our ability to score touchdowns in the red zone being a very critical factor in our success offensively,” Johnson said. “For us to drive the ball down there those first two drives and not capitalize was a huge disappointment.

“It’s been something that we made a push throughout the last couple of weeks in the season, and for whatever reason, we weren’t able to come away with touchdowns there, and that was definitely not what we anticipated.”

The Eagles are hoping for a better start Sunday night when they travel to play the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Aside from DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown’s combined efforts — 17 catches and 210 receiving yards — the Johnson-led unit had minimal contributions elsewhere as quarterback Jalen Hurts was limited to 26-of-45 passing and tailback D’Andre Swift was held to 13 rushing yards across six carries.

In addition to the quicker start, the Eagles also hope to incorporate a more healthy dose of the running game. Fans became so fed up with the lack of offensive execution that around 7 a.m. Wednesday, two of them pulled up to sidewalk outside the NovaCare Complex, and welcomed players and coaches to work with a large sign that read, “RUN THE BALL.”

Sirianni joked that he welcomed the enthusiasm and noted that the team provided the fans with coffee.

“I love our fans,” Sirianni said. “I love their passion and their energy. That’s not the first time I’ve heard, ‘Run the ball.’ We do need to continue to try to run the ball.”

While Johnson has caught a majority of the flack from fans, Sirianni still plays a key role in game planning and tailoring an offense that ultimately is still under his umbrella. The Eagles already own one victory over the Cowboys this season, but they’ll need to revise their game plan against a Cowboys defense that is ranked No. 3 in the NFL.

Schematically, Sirianni has said in the past he ‘doesn’t want to rank last in any statistical category,’ but the Eagles currently rank last in the NFL in pre-snap motion use (9.6%). For comparison, the Niners rank third at 36.9%, while the Dolphins lead the NFL at 65.4%. The Eagles are the only team to use motion in less than 10% of their offensive play calls.

Following the loss on Sunday, veteran defensive backs Kevin Byard and James Bradberry said the Niners’ heavy use of motion and jet sweeps caused confusion for the defense. That begs the question: Why don’t the Eagles use more motion themselves?

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“Sometimes the answer is to add this wrinkle or that wrinkle,” Sirianni said of the defense’s reaction to the Niners’ scheme. “Against a team that [motions a lot] … [the message] is just to make sure everybody is on the same page. I think that’s where we just didn’t do a good enough job of just making sure everyone was on the same page.

“We have to put the players in better positions to succeed. … I just want to make sure everyone’s clear on that when there is a mistake like that, that falls on the head coach … that falls on me. And we’ll be better from that.”

With five regular-season games remaining, the Eagles are still in the driver’s seat when it comes to controlling their playoff destiny. They own the NFL’s best record and despite their loss the 49ers, they still possess the conference’s top seed. A win — or a defeat — against the Cowboys (9-3), would go a long way in setting up the final month of the season.

“It’s a big division game and there’s a lot at stake,” Johnson said. “I expect both teams’ best effort, and I know everybody is excited for a great contest on Sunday night.”