Sirianni pleased with Hurts’ calmness
For once, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t play defense even though it was obvious he was being asked to make a quarterback comparison.
Sirianni sniffed it out, just the same and for once allowed himself to enjoy putting his spin on it.
Yes, Jalen Hurts’ calmness and learning qualities remind him of a veteran he coached with both the Chargers and the Colts, Phillip Rivers. There is a legit comparison to be made on those traits.
“It’s interesting because both of them, both Philip and Jalen … are all coach’s sons, right?” Sirianni said Thursday. “But as far as just even keel, I think that’s what’s common among good quarterbacks. I say that jokingly about Philip, because he was just fiery in a lot of different ways, but when he’s out there playing … My point of even bringing Philip up in this is that’s the common denominator among good quarterbacks, and that Jalen has portrayed all year. Again, Andrew Luck was like that and very, ‘play the next play, play the next play, play the next play, don’t get too up; don’t get too down.’”
So there you have it, Sirianni is on the record saying Hurts has the same qualities as good quarterbacks. In the case of Rivers, a franchise-type quarterback. That won’t stop offseason speculation about the Eagles inquiring about Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and whatever established quarterback out there is available.
But again there will always be that unsolicited praise from Sirianni, the rookie head coach who was so uncomfortable naming Hurts the starter that he finally made it after the final cuts – with the blessing of his boss.
Much has been made about Hurts being among only a handful of quarterbacks with 35 combined passing and rushing touchdowns in their first 19 starts. The bottom line is he’s 9-10 as the Eagles’ starter, including 8-7 this season. And that’s trending upward, just like his modest 61.3 completion percentage this year and 87.2 passer rating.
“I think that’s the common denominator among a lot of good players is that they know how to block out what happened in the past and focus on the play at hand and focus on what their job is at hand,” Sirianni said. “Jalen has done a good job of that for the entire time I’ve been with him because we have been through ups and downs together, just like you would expect in a 17-game season. That ability to play the next play and stay even-keeled, that’s definitely what Jalen showed throughout the year.”
• • •
The burning question is whether the Eagles are going to rest their starters in the regular season finale Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field (8:15 p.m.).
Sirianni couldn’t answer it
Thursday. And it may not be his decision to make. Reading between the lines, it sounds unlikely that the Eagles will risk much because even if they prevail and get help to finish as the sixth seed, they’re still going to play a formidable foe.
Right now with the seventh seed the Eagles’ firstround opponent would be the Los Angeles Rams. The sixth seed would take on the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In either of those games the Birds would be heavy underdogs.
The most enlightening remark Sirianni made was about letting go of the momentum of the win streak before hitting the second season.
“I’ve been around this game long enough where the debates are like, the one side says, ‘They’re going to be rested,’ right? And the other side is like, ‘Well, you’re in a four-game winning streak right now. What if you disrupt that and they’re not ready to go the next week?’” Sirianni explained. “So, I get both sides of it. If we don’t play them what gives me confidence? … I think my confidence is if the decision is to have to rest a couple guys or whatever it is, the way we go about practice and the way we prepare, I have so much confidence in our process and the way we go about how we get ready.
“That’s what would give me the confidence of not worrying about not having the momentum or whatever it is because we practice the same no matter if we’re coming off a win, coming off a loss, playing in a wildcard game, playing a preseason game, our practice habits are part of who we are.”
Veteran leadership from players like center Jason Kelce, who’s on the COVID list and safety Rodney McLeod drives the Eagles, according to Sirianni, and that lessens fears about preparing for the next challenge.
Who sits for the Eagles will be strategic. Remember the Eagles put a dozen players on the COVID list and teams basically can add an unlimited number of COVID replacements for game day.
Two players who likely won’t see action are guard Landon Dickerson (thumb) and offensive tackle Lane
Johnson (knee).
Both are listed questionable for the Cowboys.
Running back Miles Sanders (broken hand) is listed as out.
• • • Veteran wide receiver Greg Ward has been getting more snaps for the Eagles, a testament to his production and with all due respect to first-round reach Jalen Reagor the ability to help the Eagles win.
“I’m just going to stay ready when my name is called,” Ward said. “That’s all I’m focused on.”
That said, Ward remains the emergency quarterback for the Eagles should Hurts and backup Gardner Minshew inexplicably go down in the same game.
Of course, there’s competition for the job in tight end Tyree Jackson, who converted from quarterback.
“Sometimes we do talk about it,” Ward said. “Sometimes we just have funny questions and just mess with each other about that, just tease each other about who was the best quarterback and who can do what better. I think he’s pretty good. I don’t think he’s better than me but I think he’s pretty good.”