The Philadelphia Eagles have returned to Philly after their Monday night loss to the Seahawks, and head coach Nick Sirianni addressed the media on Wednesday. He discussed the criticism over offensive playcalling, the shifting of the defensive coordinator role from Sean Desai to Matt Patricia, and the team’s emphasis on accountability.

Here are some key highlights from the head coach’s remarks:

On Brian Johnson and offensive playcalling

Sirianni noted that despite his change in defensive coordinator, he is not considering a change in offensive playcalling. He emphasized the need to improve explosive plays but also asserted that the offense is his responsibility, not Brian Johnson’s.

“Make no mistake, this offense is being run the exact same way as in previous years. This is my offense. The criticism should come at me, not Brian. I was hired for my success as an offensive coordinator, and I take full responsibility for the offense.”

“So, the criticism should come at me, and I think it unfairly goes at Brian a lot of the times because he’s calling the plays.”

“I was hired to do a job here and got hired because I was successful as an offensive coordinator with our schemes and the different things that we did to coach players and help players win. I’m committed to that.”

“Like I said, the criticism should come at me, and I think it unfairly goes at Brian a lot of the times because he’s calling the plays.”

Sirianni confirmed that the offense has remained consistent throughout his three-year tenure with the Eagles, and he does not see the need for a change in playcalling at this point in the season.

“So I guess I’m not thinking that a change needs to be made there for multiple reasons, and that’s one big one.”

On Sean Desai’s new role

When discussing Sean Desai’s role shift to support Matt Patricia, Sirianni praised Desai’s dedication and character, emphasizing his contribution to the team.

“I really admire how Sean [Desai] went about his business this last week. I think any of us that have been in a situation where things didn’t go the way we wanted it to go, you can go two ways with that, and I really believe Sean took the — it really speaks volumes of the person and the coach that Sean is and the character Sean has, that he did everything he can do to help the football team.”

That’s why Sean is here, and we know he can help us.”

Sirianni did not provide specific details about Desai’s new role but expressed satisfaction with Desai’s continued involvement within the coaching staff.

Sirianni clarified that there will not be major changes to the defense at this point in the season, as it still remains Desai’s defense with some adjustments touching on Patricia’s expertise.

“Like I said, it’s a group effort by our defensive staff. Matt is just the one that’s making the main decision now. Sean still has a voice in there, and our assistant coaches still have a voice in there. We’re just trying to refine what we do well and continue to do what we do well and eliminate some of the mistakes that we’ve made.”

On the Eagles offense and Jalen Hurts’ performances

Sirianni responded to questions about Jalen Hurts’ recent performances by attributing the offense’s struggles to the team as a whole rather than singling out Hurts. He acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly in explosive plays and turnover differentials.

Sirianni affirmed his confidence in Hurts and the team’s ability to turn things around, emphasizing the need to take each game one step at a time.

“I have a lot of confidence with Jalen and the guys on this team that we can get this thing turned around. All it takes is the next game. All we’re thinking about is how we turn it around going into this next game, and we’ll take it one day and one game at a time.”

Other notables

• Sirianni expressed confidence in wide receiver Quez Watkins and his impact on the field, noting his speed and ability to influence the game even when not being targeted.
• He reiterated the importance of accountability within the team, emphasizing that it remains a core value regardless of the team’s performance. Sirianni also emphasized that accountability applies to everyone, including Jalen Hurts.
• He addressed the criticism over the second interception in the game, explaining the team’s confidence in the play and their intention to learn from the experience.

“In that particular time, it didn’t work, so we understand the criticism, but not only could you get a pass interference, but also A.J. has a tremendous ability to come down with the football in one-on-one situations.

In this particular case it didn’t work out, but we’re comfortable with what was called and what we did in that scenario, and we’ll be better next time because of it.”

• Sirianni addressed Christian McCaffrey’s ability to predict a play based on the Eagles’ formation, attributing it to McCaffrey’s instincts rather than the team’s predictability.