GLENDALE, Ariz. — Before kickoff, Nick Sirianni shed more than a few tears.
By the end of the night, it was Andy Reid who had the last laugh.
There is no doubt the Eagles play the way Nick Sirianni coaches. There is an “I don’t give a damn’’ attitude that permeates his team and all of that attitude was needed Sunday night during a wild and tense Super Bowl 2023 battle at State Farm Stadium.
Sirianni, the 41-year old in his second year as a head coach, got his team out of the gate fast but could not get his team across the finish line first. The Eagles dominated the first half but got overrun in the second half, losing 38-35 on a late field goal by Harrison Butker.
As country singer Chris Stapleton was singing the national anthem, Sirianni could be seen getting quite emotional, tears flowing down his cheeks. During the week, Sirianni predicted standing on the sideline before the game would lead to an introspective moment.
“I’ve been dreaming of this since I’ve been 2 years old,’’ Sirianni said afterward. “I was telling the guys some of you have been dreaming about this since you’ve been 2 years old. We’ve all been dreaming of it. Growing up in the family of a football coach, this is what you dream of being in this moment, just emotional in that moment.’’
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The Eagles were dominating the game but not the scoreboard, tied at 14 after Jalen Hurts dropped the ball for a fumble that Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton scooped up and returned 36 yards for a touchdown. On the next Eagles offensive series, Sirianni showed either the aggressiveness or the arrogance that has come to define the sensational start to his NFL head coaching tenure.
The Eagles were on the Kansas City 45-yard line and faced a fourth-and-5. Clearly, they were not in field-goal range and this was not a short-yardage situation. Sirianni certainly could have called for a punt and no one would have questioned his decision. If he opted to go for it on fourth down and failed, he would hand Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs the ball near midfield — not an attractive option.
Sirianni does not think much about failure. He never hesitated at all as he kept his offense on the field. Hurts made his head coach look smart, taking advantage of a gaping hole up the middle to scoot 28 yards to the Chiefs’ 16-yard line.
Three plays later, Sirianni did it again. It was fourth-and-2 on the Kansas City 8-yard line, a chip-shot field goal for Jake Elliott. No chance. Not for Sirianni. He goes for the jugular. The Eagles, the most lethal team in the NFL in converting quarterback sneaks, never had to snap the ball. Defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi was called for a neutral-zone infraction, handing the Eagles a first down. Hurts ran untouched into the end zone from 4 yards out and it was 21-14.
Sirianni was on the ball late in the second quarter, alertly calling his first timeout with 1:33 remaining before halftime before the Chiefs lined up to punt, realizing he should save some time for a final scoring thrust. Sirianni used two more timeouts during the possession, leaving just enough time for Jake Elliott to hammer home a 35-yard field goal for a 24-14 lead at the break.
At the finish, though, Sirianni — a guy who make his reputation as an offensive assistant — did not have the answer on how to prevent the Chiefs from piling on 17 points to take the game.
