Nick Sirianni

Q. When you look back at the game from yesterday, what were some of the specific issues you guys had dealing with the Blitz? And are those issues things that you’ve dealt with before? (Dave Zangaro)

NICK SIRIANNI: Obviously anytime you don’t handle the things like that the way you should, that’s always going to start with me and putting them in positions to make plays, and so many different ways that you can handle the Blitz. There’s many different things that you can do.

And, the ones that we chose to do yesterday, they weren’t good enough and so that’s going to be on me. Because it starts with the plan that we put together and so it wasn’t good enough yesterday. We have our ways that we’re going to fix it. We have our ways that we’re going to move forward with it. But, yesterday, I’m 100% going to take that on what it looked like yesterday.

Q. Going into the playoffs, are you making any changes to play calling on defense or offense? And how would you assess that right now? (Brooks Kubena)

NICK SIRIANNI: No.

Q. I know you don’t put any timetables on injuries, but when you look at WR A.J. Brown, WR DeVonta Smith, G/C Cam Jurgens — and it looks like you guys will be without S Sydney Brown now for a long time. Do you think these guys will be ready for the playoffs, and do you have any update on QB Jalen Hurts? (Chris Franklin)

NICK SIRIANNI: Again, haven’t seen these guys. These guys have off today, with the Monday night game this week, they had off today. So, I haven’t seen them. I have talked to the trainers. Obviously, Sydney posted he’ll be done for the year, and I can confirm that. Shoot my heart breaks for those guys. I know him and [LB] Nakobe [Dean] are our guys that are out for the year.

And again, that’s a hard thing to —  having gone through that as a college football player having to be out for an entire season, that’s tough. And so, my heart breaks for them. I have sympathy for them because I know how hard that is when you want to be out on the field with your brothers playing, and you can’t be because your body won’t let you. That really is a tough thing.

And again, my heart breaks for those guys that can’t be out there with us, and we need those guys out there with us. As far as DeVonta, as far as Cam, as far as A.J., we’ll see as the week progresses. Obviously, bummed that Cam and A.J. had to come out and we obviously missed DeVonta yesterday. We need all hands on deck to do the things we want to do. We’ll see how the week progresses. Hopeful on everybody. Obviously, besides Sydney.

But we’ll see, and I’ll give you more information as the week continues to roll on.

Q. Defensively, to many of us on the outside looking in, there seems to be some communication issues. Do you think that’s a fair criticism? And if you do, why or why not? (John McMullen)

NICK SIRIANNI: Obviously, when you’re not playing and coaching good enough or to the standard on either side of the ball, there’s going to be many different things that point to that. There’s going to be some things that they schemed us up on, right?

There are going to be some times where we missed a fit or we missed a play. There’s going to be times where we missed the tackle. There’s going to be times that we have a communication error. And that communication error can be between player and player, coach and player, player and coach.

So yeah, I mean, you’ll have some of those and I think that’s common through any game. You try to limit those as much as you possibly can. And so, I wouldn’t say a huge communication error thing. It just hasn’t been good enough all the way around as we all have seen. So, there are many different issues that are going on, communication error every once in a while, yeah, sure, but that’s common in the game of football. And that has happened once or twice in the last couple of weeks.

Q. If you’ve had a chance to sort of quickly rewatch the Week 3 film from when you guys played the Bucs before, I’m curious what stood out to you, what jumped out to you about the differences between you guys then and now? (Bo Wulf)

NICK SIRIANNI: When I’m watching that game, which we did watch this morning, I’m watching the different ways to attack them, different things that we had done, and so I’m focused more on that. That was a good game that we played back in week three against two good teams in the playoffs right now as the four and five seeds. And we know we’re going to have a battle on our hands because I know how much respect I have for this defense and this defensive coordinator, the players that they have on that field and we’re going to have to be on it to accomplish what we want to accomplish.

And so that’s where my mind was when I’m watching the game. Different things that we did, different things we could do, different things we could do of the things that we did, and all those different things like that. So yeah, that’s where my mind was when I was watching it this morning.

Q. Not that there were a whole lot of positives to take out of the game yesterday, but did WR Quez Watkins kind of show you something, like if WR A.J. Brown or WR DeVonta Smith can’t play, that he could possibly fill in a little bit for them? (Martin Frank)

NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, sure. I thought Quez did some good things yesterday. He made some nice catches, ran some good routes, had some nice blocks, had a really nice touchdown catch where he went up and extended and made the play.

And make no mistake about it, we have not lost faith or confidence in Quez. We still know how much his speed can change the game and help open up other guys, and how that also can help himself open up. So, yeah, we’re confident in Quez if he has to go in and play a significant role, that he can go in and operate at a high level and, again, like you said, did a lot of good things yesterday, made a couple of really nice plays and had some nice blocks.

Q. We’ve often seen that it takes a year or so for players to get adjusted to a new coordinator. What gave you the confidence that these guys would be able to acclimate to a new defensive play caller and tailored scheme in such a short amount of time? (Tim McManus)

NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you’ve got to understand, too, that we’re not completely changing to adjust [Senior Defensive Coordinator] Matt [Patricia]’s philosophy. Matt’s also doing things to fit the defense that’s currently in place. So, to me, that’s not what the issue is going on.

You know, are we doing some different things and some new things? Yeah, of course, but we’re doing some different things and new things on offense as the year progresses. And so that to me is not — we’re very conscious of that, and we understand that when you put something new in, every detail has to be ironed out, and every offense that you go against has to be prepared for it with that scheme that you’re putting in. And so that’s done with thought in mind.

We’re being conscious of how much we’re changing and what we’re doing because it is hard to change. To say, ‘hey, we’re going to run a completely new defense at this point in the year,’ when Matt took over, and that’s why we’re not doing that.

We’re just making some adjustments, some different things that we’re doing when we’re going through defense, and hey, has it been good enough these last couple of weeks? No, but we’re still working like crazy to get it better.

Q. What’s been the messaging from Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Lurie the last six weeks, and especially after the last game and heading into the playoffs? (Jeff McLane)

NICK SIRIANNI: Ever since I’ve been here, whether it was we started off 2-5, whether it was that we won 16 games last year, whether it was we started off 10-1, whether it was that we’ve lost five of our last six because we’ve been through ups and we’ve been through downs, and he’s been nothing but supportive towards me the entire time I’ve been here. Through any tough decision I’ve ever had to make, through any personnel, anything like that, anything with a game decision.

Mr. Lurie has been nothing but completely supportive and willing to do anything in his power to help us win football games. And that’s what I respect so much about him. And so, man, I couldn’t thank him enough and be more grateful to have him as our owner and the leader of our organization.

Q. Was DT Jordan Davis on a pitch count yesterday and is he still recovering from that ankle, and how important are DT Jordan Davis and DT Jalen Carter? They were so big early in the season when you guys were playing well. How important are those two guys going forward? (Bob Brookover)

NICK SIRIANNI: As you saw as the game wore on, and as we got down by a couple scores, and the Washington-Dallas game started to get out of hand, obviously, we took guys out. Just like we did on offense, we did the same thing on defense, and Jordan was a result of that a little bit as well, yesterday.

Yeah, really important part of our defense, that front. And so, Fletch [DT Fletcher Cox] is the leader of that group, and he’s played outstanding football from Game 1 on, and those two guys are really important as well.

And so, we’re going to need them to do what we want to do, and all we’re focused on is this next football game, to do what we want to do in that game. They’re going to need to have big games like they did. I think they had some pretty good games, I haven’t watched much of the defense versus Tampa Bay from Week 3, but I know how good they played in that game looking back at the grades.

Q. How difficult has it been for you to kind of coach these guys through this particular stretch of games where you’ve lost five out of the last six? How frustrating has it been to kind of get these guys through these particular hard times that you’re experiencing, and have you ever experienced that in your career? (Chris Murray)

NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, good question. I think anyone can lead when times are easy. When times are hard, this is when you see what you’re made of and how you lead. And so, I look at it as a challenge that I know we can get out of this slump that we’re in. It’s my job to make sure that we do, and I look at it as a challenge and how sweet it will be when we do get out of it because I know we will, and I know we’ve got the right guys to get out of it.

And what a week to go out there and try to do it this week against Tampa Bay. And so obviously, anytime you’re going through challenges, it’s a challenge, right? It’s a challenge, but it also feels like the steps that have led you to this moment of being in these jobs, or being in a seat where the players are that have built you for this, right.

We’ve all faced adversity on our way to get to where we are right now. And I’m speaking of this group of Philadelphia Eagles, right, and I know that I can look at one of the main adversities I’ve been through and say — maybe the biggest adversity I’ve been through — and say that’s why I’m sitting here in this seat right now. I know that 100%.

And so, like I said, anybody can lead in times of great joy. What’s inside you and what can you do in times of trials and tribulations? And so, I look at it as a challenge, and I’m damn for sure up for that challenge.

Q. What observations did you have about the way QB Jalen Hurts threw the ball and handled the ball when he went back in the game, and what sense do you have of how long this injury lingers? (Zach Berman)

NICK SIRIANNI: Obviously, we know how tough Jalen is. I mean, this guy has played through a lot of different things and hats off to him because that — again, I don’t want to say anyone can play when your body feels good, but it’s when your body’s feeling the way I know all our guys are feeling, and particularly Jalen, the fact that they played through those things speaks to how tough they are, and Jalen is right there at the top of the list and how tough he is.

And so, he went back in, as you all saw, I was watching him closely when he came out of the tent and watching him throw. He looked at me and he said, ‘I’m going,’ got his helmet, picked it up, and that gives you goosebumps to think about one of your best players doing that and fighting through for his teammates.

And so yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see as the week progresses, but I know he’s going to be sore. There’s no doubt about that, and I know that finger is going to get stiff and he’s going to have to go through hard work to make sure that he’s ready to go. But I have no doubt that he’s going to do everything he can do to do that, and that he’ll be able to play through his bumps and bruises because I’ve seen him do it.

I’ve seen him do it over and over and over again. And, you guys can ask him more about that question when y’all talk to him, but, man, I can’t say enough for how tough he is, and he’ll do everything he can do to play and play at a high level this Monday night.