The answer certainly came out awkward. But it doesn’t really mean anything.
Earlier this month, as the Eagles closed out minicamp, Jalen Hurts was asked about Nick Sirianni’s acceptance of the changes being implemented on offense under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
“Um, I mean, that’s a great question,” Hurts said, stumbling, and you can see him trying not to laugh. “I don’t know if I know the answer.” Hurts then responded to a follow-up question about what he’s seen of Sirianni adjusting to this: “Um, I think she’s been great in the messages that she’s delivering to the team. Trying to be very intentional in what she says. Yeah.”
Hurts was criticized for not being more demonstrative in praising Sirianni with the typical insider cliches about the remains of the remains. When he did not, Hurts was asked if he had a working relationship with Sirianni.
He does it.
The fact is, Hurts will need to have a closer relationship with Moore.
The two will face each other every day.
Hurts seems willing to learn.
“I think this whole offseason has been about learning,” Hurts said, in a rare moment of effusiveness for him, which gets far more credit than anything he’s ever said about Sirianni. “Learn and gain new knowledge, new perspectives with the minds we have in the room. I think throughout the whole thing, that’s been the emphasis. You get to a point where you feel, ‘Hey, I’m going to get comfortable with this, I’m going to like it.’ But there comes that moment when you can repeat it, repeat it, repeat it later.
“But right now, there has been a lot of new inventory. Most of it, probably 95%, is new. It’s just been that process and it’s been a fun process because you get to see what works for other people. Thanks to the number of coaches I have had since I have been here, I have been able to gain a lot of new knowledge and understanding. So I think the goal was to learn Kellen’s offense and master it and I think it’s been a process and I think in the end I want it to be mine and have it my way.
“I think it’s kind of a credit to the lack of continuity with that and it’s something where I had to take on all these new things and new voices and still go out and be successful and efficient. I think that’s exactly what’s going to happen again.”
Most NFL teams run the same things. Disguising what they direct is significant. The Eagles barely disguised anything in 2023. Teams knew what they were running for. He basically left Hurts out there to fend for himself.
Moore has a penchant for using pre-shot movements. He made moves throughout the Eagles’ minicamp involving everyone.
Hopefully, the deeper concern with the 2024 Eagles has been resolved.
And it has nothing to do with how Hurts and Sirianni get along.
The 2023 Eagles dropped the final seven games. The team lost faith in replacement defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and first-year offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.
Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman are smart enough to know that if the Eagles had waived Sirianni, they would have fired him. They took a lot of control away from Sirianni. Moore, as everyone understands, will run the offense. Vic Fangio will have complete defensive autonomy, as will Jim Johnson under Andy Reid.
Syrianni will announce the coin toss.
But think about this: on a windy winter day, Sunday, December 29, around 7:15 p.m., and the Eagles were defeating Dallas, 24-23, after scoring a touchdown with 2 seconds left in the half. regulations and the playoffs in the air. In balance, it will be Sirianni who will make the final decision on what to do next, kick the extra point and force overtime or play to win, not Kellen Moore or Vic Fangio.
Syrianni will have the game in his hands.
That’s where the real power lies.
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning and Hall of Fame sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written articles for SI.com, KeynoteUSA.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project for KeynoteUSA.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is best known for his award-winning KeynoteUSA.com article on high school wrestler AJ Detwiler in February 2006, which appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
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