Some Eagles officials called Nick Sirianni’s sideline antics ‘embarrassing.’ What does Jeffrey Lurie think?
That’s one of the main topics on this week’s edition of “unCovering the Birds.”
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There’s been little wiggle room in how Eagles fans have felt about Nick Sirianni’s behavior toward the end and after the Eagles’ victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The majority have lambasted the coach on talk radio airwaves, on social media, and at the watercooler for how he acted toward some in the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field.
The criticism has extended beyond local fans and media to a national level and has created a bit of a mini-firestorm for Sirianni.
But how were his actions interpreted within the Eagles organization?
» READ MORE: Listen to the unCovering the Birds podcast: Week 6 vs. Browns: “Embarrassing”
“Embarrassing” was how two team officials labeled it to The Inquirer when asked specifically for their reactions to Sirianni’s conduct. The two sources each voiced overall support of the coach, and said they understood how toxic Eagles fans can be at times. But the outside voices against Sirianni weren’t alone in their thinking.
The bigger question in the wake of yet another incident that put the spotlight on Sirianni’s temperament was: What did Jeffrey Lurie think?
The latest episode of “unCovering the Birds” — The Inquirer’s Eagles podcast — takes a closer look at Sirianni’s actions, the team’s internal reaction to how the coach handled the aftermath of the 20-16 win over Cleveland, how Lurie may feel about his coach, and more important, the direction of his team.
The Eagles owner met with his coach immediately after Sunday’s game — as he normally does — but Sirianni said he hadn’t spoken to Lurie the next day. Nevertheless, Sirianni issued an apology for his actions during his Monday press conference.
Sirianni said he wanted to revert to showing more of his passion for his team and that a few players had encouraged him to do so during the bye week. But he said he took it too far. (Even though a fan later claimed on Reddit that he was Sirianni’s target and thought it was just playful back-and-forth.)
Lost in the furor over Sirianni’s antics, though, was an important victory. It wasn’t pretty, but the Eagles are 3-2 and only a half-game behind Washington in the NFC East ahead of a divisional matchup at the New York Giants on Sunday.
And that’s what Lurie has long shown he’s most focused on: the on-field results. But he also likely sees what most outsiders have observed through five games: an underperforming team, specifically on offense.
He has spoken before about Sirianni needing to find the “sweet spot” in how to use his passion in a positive way without overstepping normal bounds. He has voiced his concerns about his coach’s behavior toward officials and there was a near-incident during the Browns game that went under the radar and likely drew more of his attention.
But Lurie has shown to be a patient owner. The Eagles, despite their flaws, have plenty of time to play up to expectations.
Listen to “unCovering the Birds” for more on Sirianni and where the Eagles go from here, plus an exclusive interview with running back Saquon Barkley ahead of his return to MetLife Stadium to face his former team, and some inside information on quarterback Jalen Hurts and how he has chosen to publicly address his evolving relationship with Sirianni.