Nick Sirianni
Q. In the offseason, Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie said that he liked that you showed passion as a head coach; he didn’t want to you lose that. But considering the extreme negative reaction to yesterday, have you heard from Jeffrey Lurie at all about what happened yesterday, and what was his feedback? (Eliot Shorr-Parks)
NICK SIRIANNI: No, [Chairman/CEO] Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie and I talk every time after the game. I haven’t talked to him yet today, but I know how supportive Mr. Lurie has been through everything.
I would say this about that: What I was really doing was trying to bring energy, enthusiasm yesterday. And I’m sorry and disappointed about how my energy was directed at the end of the game. My energy should be all in on coaching, motivating, and celebrating with our guys.
And so, I’ve got to have better wisdom and discernment of when to use that energy, and that wasn’t the time. We have the best fans in the world. There is no place like this. They show up and show out no matter where we are: Brazil, Arizona, it doesn’t matter, New Orleans.
In that game, too, it was loud. I thought it was really loud, energetic. And those two false starts that the Browns got that forced a field goal instead of – who knows, they’re 4th-and-8 at the 8-yard line, and then they get a penalty and don’t go for it on 4th-and-13, who knows how that would’ve gone?
So, our fans brought the energy, brought the passion, brought the juice. Yeah, that is my answer to that.
Q. I’m wondering what made you feel the way you do, what you just articulated? What made you change your mind? After the game you said, ‘I was just having fun.’ What changed after the fans reacted? (Reuben Frank)
NICK SIRIANNI: There are play calls in the game you go through and game management things you go through and say, ‘At the time, I thought this was the right thing,’ and then you evaluate everything.
You evaluate the way the players played. You evaluate the things that you did as a coach to get them ready to play, or the calls that you made, or the management of the game that you did.
You do the same thing with other things, which this one is.
Q. What needs to be done to improve the offensive slow starts? (Jeff McLane)
NICK SIRIANNI: If there was something magic, we would be doing it. I think the defense really started well. And I know that’s not the question you asked, but it made us able to stay 0-0 and then [during] the third drive, get going.
We’ve got to put the guys in positions to succeed. We’ve got to be ready, and the guys have to go out and execute. It’s always going to be that. And we just have to keep trying new formulas. It’s not necessarily the same formula against every team. It depends on the defense that you’re playing and the opponent you’re playing.
You’ve just got to keep trying different formulas of things that have been successful in the past, things we think can be successful for this team, sprinkling different formulas in there. We know how important it is that we get on that board first, and when they kick it to us, to go down and get a score right away and not have to think of the defense to get a stop for us to get a lead. So it’s on our mind.
Q. How many scripted plays are there, and do you guys need to maybe not do that as much? Maybe that’s the issue? (Jeff McLane)
NICK SIRIANNI: I’m not going to get into how many plays we have there, how many plays we script out on third down, on red zone.
Again, we’ll keep trying different formulas to make sure that we’re putting the guys in position to succeed, and that the guys can go out and start fast.
Q. I know you don’t like to give a lot of injury information, but it certainly doesn’t look good for T Jordan Mailata after seeing him on crutches yesterday. I know T Fred Johnson is typically the man up, but would there be any consideration given perhaps to T Mehki Becton moving out to that tackle spot if this is a long-term situation? (Ed Kracz)
NICK SIRIANNI: Good question. You’re right, I don’t give that information a lot. It looks like [T] Jordan [Mailata] is going to be out a couple weeks. We’ll see exactly how long it’s going to be. I don’t have that information yet, exactly all that. Jordan is busting his butt trying to make a play, and unfortunately that happened.
Everything is on the table, though. Everything is on the table. We’ve got some good ability to do different things because of the roster that [Executive Vice President/General Manager] Howie [Roseman] and his staff have built and the flexibility that [Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line] Coach [Jeff] Stoutland coaches the guys up with to be able to be multiple at different positions.
Flexibility is there. We’re early on in the process, and we’ll figure that out as the week goes.
Q. Are you really calling defensive plays on occasion, or is that just more of a shield for your coaches? (Tim McManus)
NICK SIRIANNI: I think it’s very common in the NFL when the head coach gets on and says, ‘Attack; concede; come on, let’s get after these guys.’ I think that is where that comes from. Then there are personal philosophies that I have of how to play certain situations that you talk through.
So it wouldn’t be fair for me to have the philosophies that I have, and push that on my coaches, and then not take accountability for it when the play doesn’t work.
So, yeah, that’s kind of how it goes. I think that’s pretty common throughout the NFL.
Q. From the standpoint of pointing out specific plays, the 3rd-and-1, you say all the time that your name is on everything, whether it’s offense, defense, special teams. Is it better to leave it there and not point out specific plays? Have you thought about that? (John McMullen)
NICK SIRIANNI: My name is on everything. I think it’s just, again, the wisdom and discernment of when to do that and when not to do that.
Unfortunately, there is not a rule book about how to be a head coach and how to handle different situations. You try to do your best and handle each situation as it’s presented. So, will I consistently give that information? We’ll see how it goes. But sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Q. Sticking with the defense, you guys had 5 sacks yesterday. I think you came in the game with 6 through the first four games. What do you attribute the difference to as far as getting to the quarterback? And if I could ask also how you thought DB Cooper DeJean played, getting 91% of the snaps? (Martin Frank)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, I’ll answer that first one first. I thought [DB Cooper DeJean] Coop had a really good game. There are things he has to improve on that were on the tape and that he’s going to be working hard to do.
But I thought his youth and his energy really showed up on that field. He made that play where the guy traces back, and you can see his speed and athleticism making the play.
Say the first part of your question again, I’m sorry.
Q. Just the difference as far as getting to the quarterback. You guys had the 5 sacks yesterday. (Martin Frank)
NICK SIRIANNI: That’s how games go sometimes, that there are opportunities in certain games. I thought our guys rushed well when they had to rush individually. I thought our guys rushed in tandem, as a group, well together when they were rushing with games.
I thought [Defensive Coordinator] Vic [Fangio] dialed up some really nice blitzes in certain situations that got guys free. So, I think it was a little bit of a combination of all three. Then there were some times when the secondary had really good coverage. I think every time I looked at it, the secondary was tight, and they were sticky in coverage.
So it was really good team defense.
Q. From a game plan standpoint, the numbers say it was the lowest amount of play-action that you guys have ever run under you. Why was that the case in this game? (Bo Wulf)
NICK SIRIANNI: Different scenarios call for different things. That’s a really good defense that were doing some different things that made certain things challenging.
Got a lot of respect for [former Eagles and current Browns Defensive Coordinator] Coach [Jim] Schwartz. Obviously, he’s done the ultimate thing here and won a Super Bowl. So much respect for him, and the coordinator he’s been, and the coordinator he is. They did some things that were challenging.
Again, I thought [Offensive Coordinator] Kellen [Moore] did a really nice job calling the game. I can’t tell you how good of a job I think he did. Aggressive in certain situations where we needed to be aggressive, which may not always be typical of being aggressive, but he was.
I thought he did a nice job calling the game. And I thought [QB] Jalen [Hurts] really did a nice job of handling the way the game was called and the plays that were coming in and went to the right place with the football.
I’m just kind of adding to this. Jalen did a really nice job of starting off – we really wanted to start fast, but we didn’t. That was the emphasis.
But, man, how impressive was Jalen in the sense that you can start off 0-for-5 and then complete 16 of your next 20 balls? That’s [the] true definition of ‘dog mentality.’
Q. Looking ahead to next week, you guys have to travel to MetLife Stadium again, a place where you guys have struggled in the past. What has caused those struggles, and what do you do to fix them? Especially… it was 1-3 in those last games. (Chris Franklin)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, I think it’s the Giants. Obviously, we had a loss against the Jets. I don’t think anyone is thinking about where we’re playing or anything like that, so it’s really about how we go about this game.
For instance, there are guys on this team that haven’t been part some of those games. We’ve just got to go execute and control the things we can control.
If I thought it was a weather thing or anything like that, then we would do something a little bit different. This has just been more of our execution and our coaching in certain games. And we’ll be hungry in this game and do the work that we need to do this week to get ready for this game.
Q. You said you wanted to bring energy yesterday, and you said your players ask you to do that. Now you’re saying maybe you went overboard yesterday. How do you find a happy medium to all that? What do you feel like you need to do to get to that space? (Bob Brookover)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, again, I don’t think there is a playbook for that. But, I think at the end of the day it is: Okay, you want to be passionate and have energy, just like I did in there today with the guys when we watched film together.
But again, it’s having that discernment of when to do that. I wish there was a playbook on stuff like that. It would make the job a little bit easier to do. But it’s not, so you’ve got to have the discernment and the wisdom of when to do it.
At the end of the day, as I think about it and as I reflect on it, are you coaching your butt off throughout the week and coaching your butt off during the game? Are you motivating and pushing the right buttons? And it’s not necessarily motivating, it’s wiring.
It’s wiring the guys in the right way, not inspiring them. Wiring your habits. Then it’s just celebrating with them because that’s so much fun. That’s one of the best things you can have in this game. Some of the best memories I have of this game are the celebrations that you have in-game, celebrations you have in the locker room after the game, stuff like that.
So I think that can be the baseline of everything, to answer your question.
Q. What perspective do you have on why the special teams issues continue [for] multiple weeks here? And if I can sneak in a quick injury question, do you have a sense of the TE Dallas Goedert and CB Darius Slay injuries yet? (Zach Berman)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, still getting a little bit more back on [TE] Dallas [Goedert] and [CB Darius] Slay. We’ll have more on that. Still up in the air a little bit there.
As far as the special teams, I think what’s happened is, we’ve had the one catastrophic play each game with the past couple weeks. One thing that really bothers me in coaching sometimes is ‘We played a good game, except.’ Well, that except counts. Those count.
In this particular case, a really good player made a really good play. Like I told you guys, I can’t tell you how much respect I have for [Browns DE] Myles Garrett and the player that he’s been. He made a really good play. We’ve got to be better in that scenario.
He made the same play against Indy last year. Same exact play. We have to be better in that scenario. We have to coach it better, we’ve got to execute it better, and be aware of where he is at all times, offensively and special teams-wise.
Shoot, if that guy goes in the game at tight end, I have no doubt in my mind that guy can make plays there. So we would have to be alert for him there as well because that’s always your emphasis in this game.
It’s a game of matchups. Don’t let their best guys beat you. He made a really good play that turned the tide of that game yesterday.
Q. In talking about your behavior, you said you related it to reviewing plays. Who is a part of that review for yourself? Was that just you? Was that Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie? Was that Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman? Was that players? You mentioned players that talked to you before. Was that just your own process? (Brooks Kubena)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, that’s my self-review after each game. I always think – I probably do too good of a job pulling myself through the mud at the end of game. But the end of the day, that one called for it.
And then also, that’s the only way you get better.
Q. How much differently are you guys coaching those mesh concepts, and what was the impetus for that? (Dave Zangaro)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, not a lot different. Not a lot different. I think back to 2022 at Washington, [former Eagles WR] Zach Pascal gets a really similar play that sets [WR DeVonta Smith] Smitty off for a really, really, really long run.
I think back to Indy, and we’re at Houston, and [former Colts TE] Trey Burton gets a mesh for [former Colts WR] T.Y. Hilton that looked pretty similar, too, that went for a big catch and run.
Again, you constantly think about better ways to teach it and how do you get better at it. Those coaching points have been pretty firm for the past years.
What an unbelievable call there by Kellen. What a great execution by the O-line and Jalen, and then really good by [TE] Jack Stoll and DeVonta. And then, really like to point out the effort by [TE] Grant Calcaterra to make sure on the other one that Smitty got in the end zone. Because [Browns S] Rodney McLeod was flying around, making a lot of plays yesterday.
Grant turned and got a block on Rodney to allow DeVonta to finish that play.
Q. We saw a similar scene at the end of the Saints game with DT Jalen Carter talking to some of the players and the fans. You come over to him and try to talk to him and maybe calm him down. Obviously with what happened yesterday, how do you view yourself as someone who sets the temperature, the tone for the players in their actions, their behavior? And when you fall short of that, how do you address that or take accountability with the players? (Olivia Reiner)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, it’s an emotional game, but everything – shoot, I’ll start every meeting with the things that I screwed up. It’s just being honest and taking accountability and having honest conversations, whether that’s with the team or in private, as we talked about today.
And so, like I told you guys, literally everything on that field is my responsibility. That’s from actions and behaviors, and plays, and everything. I take a lot of pride in that, and when it doesn’t go the right way, I put myself through the mud for that.
Everything. Everything has my name on it. That’s why this self-reflection at the end is critical. The only way you get better is if you look yourself in the mirror and say what you could have done better.
Q. Two questions about the offensive game plan here. You guys used the fewest amount of pre-snap motion plays. I think the rate has been going down progressively throughout the season. And then QB Jalen Hurts only had one completion over the middle of the field. Is that something the Browns specifically do, or what’s behind those two things? (EJ Smith)
NICK SIRIANNI: We had a lot of tempo yesterday, plays on the ball. That limits you sometimes. That doesn’t mean you can’t motion when you have a tempo play, but we had a lot of those yesterday. So that’s going to affect the number a little bit.
And then, as far as the middle of the field, I thought Jalen did a really good job taking what the defense gave him and had some matchups. And I thought those were good corners out there, but we’ve got really good receivers. Can’t say enough about that last play on 2nd-and-11 where [QB] Jalen [Hurts] threw it. What an unbelievable play by those two guys. I just thought Jalen had a really nice game going to the places where he needed to go with the football and being accurate with those throws.