Eagles won, but Nick Sirianni’s sideline eruptions and the locker room tenor still suggest a team that is tense

The Eagles were 26 seconds from ending a three-game losing streak, a fourth-down stop from moving to 11-4, and an improbable eight-point score from controlling their destiny in the NFC East, but you couldn’t tell it watching their coach on the sideline Monday night.

Nick Sirianni barked at Haason Reddick, turned his ire on the linebacker’s position coach, and when DeVonta Smith interjected during the timeout, the coach had a few pointed words for the receiver, as well.

Were the late-game theatrics blown out of proportion after a Fox Sports camera caught the coach’s heated exchanges? Perhaps. Sideline arguments are part of football. And the Eagles ultimately outlasted the forlorn New York Giants, 33-25, despite sloppiness that has been as prevalent this season as has been the winning.

But Sirianni’s high-strung antics haven’t been the only signs that his team has taken on his in-game personality and that the Eagles can’t enjoy the victories — even though they can still claim the No. 1 seed in the conference if they win out and the 11-4 49ers lose one of their remaining games.

“We’re not playing good football right now,” Smith said. “As an offense, we’re not where we want to be. I’m not satisfied. Yeah, we got 11 wins. I’m not happy. It needs to be better for what I want to do, what everybody else in here wants to do, what we want to be.

“We’re nowhere near that so, no, I’m not happy.”

» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts bounces back, Shaquille Leonard steps up for Birds

Smith’s comments shouldn’t be taken out of context. The former Alabama product lost just four games in college. He has been to the playoffs in his first two seasons and has already played in a Super Bowl. Smith represents the type of winning culture-setter the Eagles have made a point of drafting the last several years.

In the NFL, though, you have to sometimes accept that wins — while not all equal — should be celebrated. Even over 5-10 teams that haven’t beaten you at Lincoln Financial Field in a decade and have an undrafted rookie quarterback like Tommy DeVito who rightfully got benched at the half.

But the uneasiness on the Eagles’ sideline extended into their locker room, where the Jordan Mailata-played Christmas music was merry, but the mood was anything but. Leaders like Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce put up a positive front, having been through the harsh realities of losing seasons.

And Smith stood in front of his stall for waves of reporters. But Reddick didn’t answer questions and receiver A.J. Brown declined to talk when approached saying, according to Sports Illustrated, “I was taught if I had nothing good to say, to not say anything.”

Brown was near the sideline fracas. It occurred after Sirianni called a timeout just before the Giants snapped the ball on fourth-and-8. Reddick ran toward the sideline and position coach Jeremiah Washburn. Sirianni came over, clearly agitated, and said something to extent of “Get back in there.”

Washburn and Sirianni had a back-and-forth before Smith chimed in. He was making a defensive suggestion, a team source said — probably not the time or place considering the circumstances — and his coach yelled at him.

“I get animated a lot,” Sirianni said. “There are things that when mistakes are happening or trying to get the communication going, just a little bit of that. That happens throughout a game. It’s going to be between players and players, coaches and players, coaches and coaches. But when you have the relationships that we have and the connections that we have, we’re able to move on quickly.

“The guys know all we’re trying to do and coaches know all we’re trying to do is get everybody to play their best and sometimes that’s with a smack on the butt and sometimes that’s with a yell.”

The Fox cameraman who shot the sideline quarrel said that he later caught Sirianni and Smith hugging it out after Kelee Ringo’s interception ended the game, but that it wasn’t broadcast. The two were also spotted in the locker room embracing.

Sirianni also exploded on Jalen Carter earlier in the game, although it seemed justified. The rookie defensive tackle cost the Eagles when he took his time running off the field before a punt and was penalized. Carter didn’t seem to play as much the rest of the way.

It’s also worth noting that the Eagles were without Dom DiSandro, who has been suspended from the sideline for his altercation with the 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw. The chief security officer who does much more for the organization than his title suggests typically helps rein Sirianni in — or at least he tries.

» READ MORE: Meet the Eagles’ mystery man, their ‘Papa Bear’ head of security with a heart of gold

In Week 2, the coach inserted himself between quarterback Jalen Hurts and Brown that seemed to escalate the already heated receiver. Usually, it’s officials that Sirianni goes after, but DiSandro often steers the coach indoors before he makes a complete fool of himself when taunting fans after wins on the road.

Playing at Lincoln Financial Field this season must feel a little like playing away from home, especially considering the Eagles’ record. The “run the ball” chants were cute — and maybe subliminally contributed to a few of offensive coordinator Brian Johnson’s second-half calls — but boos rained down from the rafters at various points.

» READ MORE: Eagles fans begged the offense to run the ball in shaky win vs. Giants. Eventually, they got their wish.

There’s no denying the Eagles have felt the pressure of expectations — those self-applied and those set forth by a demanding fan base. But the last time they played on Christmas — when they sloppily slipped by a subpar Raiders team in 2017 — could offer a reminder that there is hope.

That Super Bowl-winning squad had convincing wins already on its slate, of course. And that team had leaders — a few who still remain — who could get the players to believe even though the starting quarterback was lost for the season.

It doesn’t just have to be the quarterback who sets the temperature, although it helps. Hurts has his own style. He’s reserved, maybe more than some would prefer when the Eagles are struggling, but few could argue with following his work ethic.

“I think everybody has their own opinion,” Hurts said. “Everybody has their own perspective on their role and what it is for this football team. I have mine, and being the leader, you have to not only be able to lead by example, but you have to be able to lead by action.

“Lead by execution. Lead by what you do daily.”

Hurts, who played solidly, had long conversations with Smith and Kelce in the locker room after the game — ones normally held after difficult losses. Smith said they talked about improving communication when Hurts audibles to a new play and when there are overall frustrations.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Jalen Hurts overcomes shaky moments to make winning plays vs. the Giants

The old-school Graham, though, understands that perfection isn’t possible and that players feed off their quarterback.

“Like I told Jalen, ‘Man, I love seeing you smiling out there, because we all feel that,’” Graham said. “That’s the biggest thing, making sure we’re having fun. We know we have the players. Let’s not make it not fun when we’re winning.

“Don’t let people on the outside make you feel like, ‘You all barely did this.’ There’s no almost, no barely. Did we win or did we lose?”

They won. It didn’t always feel like it afterward.