During his postgame press conference following the Eagles’ 15-12 victory over the Saints on Sunday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni volunteered some information.
It wasn’t just his decision to go for it on 4th-and-1 with 14 seconds left in the first half.
He also called the play.
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“At that 4th-and-1 at the end of the half, I called that. Not Kellen (Moore),” Sirianni said on Sunday afternoon. “I called that play at the end of the half, not Kellen. Kellen did not. I called it. That’s what I thought was best for the football team at that particular case. That was my decision, I did it, it didn’t work and we’ll get better. I’ll get better from it.”
The Eagles ended up winning the game but those decisions brought Sirianni’s game-management skills into question for the second straight week. In this case, most of the public analytic models suggested the Eagles kick a field goal in that situation.
But instead of kicking a field goal to tie the game up at 3-3, Sirianni called a run play that was a wrinkle off the tush push and the Eagles were stuffed short of the line to gain. Had the Eagles gotten a first down, they would have used their final timeout of the half. Sirianni said he thought the Eagles would have two plays if they converted but they didn’t.
On Monday afternoon, Sirianni didn’t want to explain his reasoning on the fourth down decisions against the Saints — he went into great detail about his decisions last week — but he was also asked how often he calls a play.
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“Here and there that's gonna happen,” Sirianni said. “That's regardless of whether it's ’21, ’22, ’23 or ’24. We’re all coming up with the game plan together, we're all putting in the work together. We got good minds on the offensive side and defensive side. And so, you talk through things. Kellen’s obviously the one calling plays. But everything is collaborative as far as the way we go through our process and in-game.”
The Eagles’ head coach explained that while Moore is the offensive coordinator and primary play caller, it’s a collaborative process. Sometimes Sirianni will have suggestions but they can also come from the Eagles’ other offensive coaches.
Sirianni said the play-calling process has been a collaboration at every stop in his NFL career and assumes it’s that way across the league.
On Monday, Sirianni explained that the coaches are coming up with the game plan together throughout the week. Of course, the difference this year is that Sirianni is more of a CEO coach and is no longer in every single offensive meeting like he was when Shane Steichen and Brian Johnson were the offensive coordinators. This is also Moore’s scheme.
When everyone knows the offensive coordinator is the play-caller, having a head coach step in and call his own plays here and there can muddy the waters a bit. Especially when a play doesn’t work.
That’s why Sirianni said he raised his hand to take blame for the play call that didn’t work on Sunday.
“I also understand the scrutiny that will happen when something like that happens,” Sirianni said. “I wanted you guys to know yesterday that in that scenario, that with a questionable call there, that I made that decision, right? And so that's why I let you guys in on that. Because Kellen didn't need to bear that because I did that.
“And so that's why I brought you in on that yesterday, not to open the door of, ‘Well, how many times you call this? Or how many times you call that? It’s collaborative. And in that particular case, I called that one and it didn't work. And when that happens, I'll always make sure that you guys know about that.”
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