Nick Sirianni Channels Pain At Eagles Super Bowl Loss Into New Motivation – ESPN – Philadelphia Eagles Blog
PHILADELPHIA — Escaping a Super Bowl loss isn’t easy.
Philly Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni has faced this reality since the clock hit zero on February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona, and the score was 38:35 for the USA Kansas City Chiefs.
Memories are everywhere. Sirianni recently sat down with his son Jacob at the family home in South Jersey to enjoy the newly installed TV in the screened-in patio just to catch a program of highlights from the game. Sirianni said he left out a number of… Damned And aww-mans As pieces, he wished he’d come over.
The language became more colorful as he watched clips from Super Bowl LVII at work.
“There were times when I was sitting in this office and an F-bomb came out of this office and someone said, ‘Are you okay?’ “Yes, I’m fine,” Sirianni said.
“Thirty years from now, 20 years from now, whatever, watching this game gives me a knot in my stomach.”
But a new year is upon us, one that will require Philadelphia’s full effort and attention if it is to become the first NFC team since 1974 Minnesota Vikings return to the Super Bowl after losing it the previous season.
It’s difficult terrain to navigate, knowing that final year’s goal is something you can’t ignore or focus too much on. It’s up to Sirianni to thread that needle. He made his first attempt on the opening day of the Eagles’ offseason training program in late April. As he began addressing the team in the NovaCare Complex auditorium, on the large projector screen behind him, he projected an image of red and yellow confetti falling on his players as they left the field in defeat. It was a recent acknowledgment to move the message forward.
“My point was that it’s okay to use it as motivation, you should use it as motivation,” Sirianni said, “but the end goal isn’t just to say, ‘This is me.'” [getting back] It’s about the process.”
He then quoted a quote from Pastor Steven Fertick: “One cannot admire the results and desire the rewards unless one embraces the routine that produces the rewards.”
The reward of a Lombardi Trophy might be even harder to come by this time. In the face of a first-place finish, the Eagles’ upcoming opponents had an overall win percentage of .567 last season — highs in the NFL. They lost five defensive starters in free agency, as well as defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, both of whom received head coaching positions. And there’s a real chance of a pullback to the mean after being among the least injured teams in 2022.
But the Eagles still have one of the best rosters on paper, led by the MVP runner-up Jalen hurts. Sirianni said he’s seen another “leap” in the Hurts’ game this offseason when it comes to accuracy and decision-making. He’s not the only one benefiting from the extra time in the system. Sirianni highlighted the recipient AJ Brown‘s Improved Foundations.
“Oh my god,” he said, “this guy just keeps getting better and better.”
The Eagles’ analysis department investigated why the Super Bowl teams failed the following year — a study Sirianni was working on when he met with a group of reporters in June. A drop in offensive production is a key cause, he said, including in the 2021 champion Los Angeles Rams in the past season.
Some of the data might come in handy, but as Sirianni pointed out, luck is an important factor for even the most talented Super Bowl hopeful teams.
Mindset is one of the things a team can control. Sirianni spent much of his summer nights taking long walks around his neighborhood. Aside from not having to put his kids to bed anymore, he joked, it’s also the time he starts crafting his weekly regular-season news stories.
“Will one of them be the sting and the pain? [from the Super Bowl loss]? “Yeah, probably,” he said. “I don’t know when is the right time to tell this story, I’m getting a feel for it as the week goes on, but of course it can be used.” But I’m really trying not to bring up the last year.”
Regardless, it’s part of the DNA of this team.
“When you have the right people, and I think we definitely have the right people, the only thing that helps you is to come back,” Sirianni said.
