What happened when Nick Sirianni listened to his own advice to his players

Nick Sirianni constantly talks about the importance of everyone on the roster understanding their role.

That’s so important to him.

Sirianni makes a point of spending time with everyone on the 53-man roster and practice squad before each season to discuss what is expected of them, where they fit, how they will be used, what their strengths and weaknesses are.

And then he tells them how to take on that role — whether they’re a starter, a backup or a barely-used special teamer — and be good at it.

It’s smart. For a team to be successful, it needs more than 22 people. Everyone on the roster will be needed, and if Sirianni’s message gets through, the last man on the practice squad will be as prepared as Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown or Brandon Graham.

Maybe not as talented, but just as ready.

And we’ve seen a number of backups come in over the past few weeks that are helping keep things running. Tyler Stone. Fred Johnson. Isaiah Rodgers. Grant Calcaterra. Without them, the Eagles wouldn’t be 5-2 with a three-game winning streak.

The irony of all this is that Sirianni is at his best when he follows his own advice about understanding your role and staying in that frame.

One of the most important things Sirianni did in his four years as head coach here was handing over play calling duties to Shane Steichen a few months into the 2021 season. That catapulted a 2-5 team into a 7-2 streak and to the playoffs and then the Super Bowl a year later.

Sirianni is not a very good play-caller, but he realized that and redefined his own role.

Before this season, he made another important decision about his role. We all knew how important it was for the Eagles to put last year’s epic collapse behind them. Howie Roseman took care of that with the defense, taking out more than half of the team’s defensive starters and replacing them with young guys with speed, energy and skill.

And Sirianni did it on offense, allowing new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to put his own scheme in place and teach and execute it the way he wanted. Total autonomy (in theory).

Sirianni is smart enough to see what we all saw. The offense was a train wreck when last season ended, and Jalen Hurts – one of the midseason MVP favorites – looked lost, frustrated and defeated as the season came to an unhappy end.

So Sirianni redefined his own role from offensive head coach to CEO head coach.

Love him or hate him, Sirianni has some very real strengths. He is a very effective communicator. He is a very good motivator. He always makes sure his teams play hard. He is honest and open with his players, he wears his heart on his sleeve and he has a lot of energy. All those things get guys to buy in.

And they do buy in.

There’s a reason the Eagles have the 3^rd-best record in the NFL since 2021, behind only the Chiefs and Bills from the AFC.

Where Sirianni has gotten into trouble is when he strays out of his lane. If he doesn’t follow the advice he gives his players.

Like when he stepped on Moore’s toes and made the play call on that 3^rd-and-1 just before halftime in the Browns game, that turned into a sack and ultimately a blocked field goal for a touchdown. It could have cost the Eagles a game.

Or when he – in his own words – ‘appealed to the defence’, but failed and said he would do so ‘from time to time’.

Going into Sunday’s game against the Jaguars in Linc, Sirianni had a 39-19 record in 3.5 seasons with the Eagles, and of the 227 coaches who have coached at least four years, that number is 13.^e-highest. Higher than 27 of the 35 head coaches in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Eagles are 5-2 after a slow start and they are aiming for their fourth straight win.

So he’s clearly doing something right.

And if he sticks to the things he’s good at, the Eagles will win a lot of games.

There is a misconception that a CEO coach doesn’t actually do much at all. Not true. He’s the one who makes sure everyone on the roster is ready when they need to play. He’s the one who helps struggling players deal with a slump. He is the one who sets the tone for the week with his Monday speeches. He is the one who ensures that there are no personality conflicts in the locker room. Most importantly, he is the one who creates a culture that brings out the best in everyone at the NovaCare Complex.

If he focuses on that and leaves everything else to his staff, the Eagles will win.

It turns out that as important as it is that every player on the team understands their role, it is just as important when the coach does.