The Eagles have won 10 straight games for the first time ever. Nick Sirianni, with a career head coaching record of 46-19, is the fifth-winningest coach in the history of the NFL. Two-and-a-half months ago, Philadelphia wanted Sirianni fired and, even with the way a hearts-on-their-sleeves Eagles fan base can be prone to hyperbole, it was a rational feeling.
Now?
The Eagles are 12-2. They have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which was an unthinkable outcome after a 33-16 Week 4 loss to the Buccaneers in Tampa. The team could've fallen into the muck that allowed the 2023 Eagles to become such an abject disaster, one of the biggest collapses in the city's history. It appeared to be more of the same, but leadership steadied the locker room and the players started balling out.
The Eagles' defense has taken a jump into an elite unit, perhaps the best one in the entire NFL. That credit naturally goes to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for maximizing the play of Zack Baun, Nolan Smith, Quinyon Mitchell and others.
The Eagles' offense found a rhythm with their all-world offensive line making holes for Saquon Barkley, who's having one of the best running back seasons ever.
Lost in the mix for the Eagles' revitalization and shocking turnaround is praise for their actual head coach. It's not his offense. It's Kellen Moore's. It's not his defense. It's Fangio's. He's become an archetypal "CEO" coach, seemingly overseeing everything and keeping morale exactly where it needs to be. How about giving him credit for weathering the early season storm where everyone across the Delaware Valley was calling for his job and even as recently as last week, during this historic winning streak, when drama arose about the relationship between the team's quarterback and No. 1 wide receiver?
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If he's traditionally an offensive-minded coach and not calling the plays, his major focus needs to be keeping an ultra-talented locker room a tight-knit group. That involves blocking out the outside noise from media and fans alike. That's what he's done!
This isn't a call for Sirianni to be the Coach of the Year in the NFL. My hypothetical vote would go to Minnesota's Kevin O'Connell. There are several deserving candidates throughout the league, sure, but let's give Sirianni some flowers for the Eagles' record and how things have transpired since a rough September.
The Eagles' passing offensive had become justifiably maligned with things only heightened following an uninspiring win over the Panthers last week. Jalen Hurts threw for just 108 yards, his third-consecutive game of fewer than 200 passing yards. The Birds changed their approach this week and came out blazing. They fed Brown the ball early and often, scoring 10 first-quarter points after struggling so often to kick off games throughout this season even with their awesome record. Hurts had his best aerial performance of 2024 while facing a tough, physical Mike Tomlin-coached defense that featured some of the game's best pass-rushers.
When the Eagles needed to win by running the ball, they did it. When the Eagles needed to win by throwing the ball, whether it was because the Steelers' defensive scheme called for it or to simply keep everyone involved and happy, they did so against Pittsburgh.
The Eagles will need to be "multiple," as Sirianni and Hurts often say about offensive versatility if they want to get back to the Super Bowl. That's a mix of both execution and scheme. Leadership matters though. If Sirianni is going to receive blame for the state of the Birds when things are falling apart, he deserves credit as well when they could finish as the best Eagles regular season team ever.
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