Earning plaudits as one of the most complete teams in the NFL, head coach Nick Sirianni has been working wonders at the Philadelphia Eagles this season.
Even if Philly don’t go all the way to win the Super Bowl this year, there are signs of promise that the Eagles can be the dominant force from the NFC East for seasons to come.
From Underdogs To Big Dogs
Sirianni has managed to transform the mood around Lincoln Financial Field with his team’s efforts this season. The Eagles, who are priced at +225 in a bet on Super Bowl winners this term, finished the regular season with a 14-3 record to finish top of the NFC Conference. Beating NFC East rivals New York twice in the regular season, the Eagles went on to beat the Giants for a third time in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. While the Giants will be sick of the sight of the Eagles, Philadelphia marched on to the NFC Championship game to take on the San Francisco 49ers at the Linc.
The Eagles managed to claim their first Super Bowl title in 2018 when they went under the radar as underdogs to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy. With quarterback Nick Foles stepping up to replace the injured Carson Wentz, under head coach Doug Pederson the Eagles went on to beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Having finished top of the NFC Conference this season, Philadelphia has found itself in a very different position. No longer the team with the underdog tag, the Eagles have had to handle the different pressure of being seen as serious title contenders.
Sirianni Building Winning Mentality
A coach who fits in with the passionate ethos of the Philadelphia supporters, Sirianni does appear to be creating something special with this Eagles team. Taking over from Pederson back in 2021, Sirianni was charged with bringing that spark back and turning Philly into Super Bowl challengers once again. In a relatively short time, Sirianni has been able to do that.
It has not been a smooth road to getting back to the NFC Conference game, as his now infamous “flower speech” in October 2021 showed. Back then, Sirianni put a picture up of a flower in a team meeting and told his team that their growth was starting in the roots. Saying how desperate he was to see his side flourish, the hard work behind the scenes and the strong recruitment has since seen Philadelphia blossom. Bringing in wide receiver A.J Brown was a massive step forward, while the likes of Miles Sanders, Haason Reddick, and C.J. Gardener-Johnson have also shone this season. Meanwhile, the old guard of Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce in the offensive line have also enjoyed strong campaigns under Sirianni.
Even if the Eagles do fall short in their hopes of getting their hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season, Sirianni’s Philadelphia side looks capable of sticking around in the title picture for campaigns to come.
