Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni (8.21.22)
On the decision to sit the starters today:
“I really felt like we got two good days of work. We really look at those joint practices as a game. How often do you play a game? They played a game on Thursday. You play a game Friday. Then you have to play a game on Sunday. It’s a controlled game setting, and you get what you want. We didn’t get some things today because you play the situations as they arise. We got more red zone reps against Cleveland on Thursday or Friday than we did today. I felt like we got great work in. Hopefully we can do this again with Cleveland next year. I thought it was really good. I think (Cleveland HC Kevin) Coach Stefanski and I have similar thoughts of how that practice should go and it worked really well. I felt, like I said before, that they got more than they needed and that’s why we rested them.”
On RB Kenneth Gainwell and RB Boston Scott’s first two series today:
“We were able to kind of pound it a little bit. Maybe it wasn’t always pretty and clean, but we were kind of just putting our heads down and they made it work. Sometimes it was money. Sometimes it was clean, but they ran it well. I thought Boston had a great first series – a 13-play drive and we got him out of there after that. What was Kenny’s series, a 12-play series? I thought that was good and I said get him out after that. Good week for those guys. Kenny had not had his best day on Friday, but then came out and showed out in the game.”
On RB Kenneth Gainwell’s play on the 3rd and 13 and if that represents what he shows the team:
“He’s just a tough-nosed kid. He’s a guy that’s going to be really physical with the ball in his hands and go get the yard. We trusted him in that scenario. Sometimes, it’s what the defense plays and you feel good about it. He did a good job. I yelled at him on Friday, and I said it after he scored his touchdown and came out. I just said to him ‘I love you man’ and he said the same thing back. I said ‘did you know on Friday that might be the first time I yelled at you in two years’ and he didn’t think anything of it. He likes the hard coaching and I’m happy that Kenny Gainwell is on our team.”
On how helpful C Cam Jurgens’s athleticism is:
“A lot of times, your interior guys on screens are guys that are getting out first, and they have to be able to block in space. Of course he did a good job of that, and we know how important that is for that position. I was pleased with it. I have to watch the tape, but I thought he did a nice job when he was in.”
On the QB Reid Sinnett to WR Devon Allen connection:
“That was a sweet play wasn’t it? It was awesome. I was so happy for him. I think it’s hard to go and do what Devon’s done. He hasn’t played football in a while and he’s slowly getting into it. He’s getting into the groove right there. He hasn’t played football in five years, but for the whole time, we thought he was really fast. What a great ball by Reid. What a great catch and route by Devon. That protection was sweet. That was really good to hold the pocket. That was a long developing play and protection was right on it. I’ll have to take a look at the tape and see what happened. They may have blitzed on that left side and we handled it really nice. It’s a tribute to the offensive line. I think we were all high-fiving on the sideline too.”
On the WR Devon Allen celebration:
“The hurdles? I said to him in there we have to get a new celebration because you’re a football player now.”
On QB Reid Sinnett’s composure:
“That play (with WR Devon Allen) was great – to be able to sit in the pocket and get a couple nice plays with his feet – that was nice to see. It’s hard to go in when you sit out the whole first half, and then come in the second half. I’d like for him to get in and start fast, but I think once he settled in, he did a nice job.”
On a favorite DE Brandon Graham story:
“There are too many right there. I don’t even know that it’s a story, but he is just the same guy every single day. There is never a day where he doesn’t have energy coming in, and guys feed off that. He is the type of leader he is because of one, his play, and one-b, his energy and love for football. I don’t tell him enough. I need to tell him every day how happy I am that he’s back.”
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