The Philadelphia Eagles have a new head coach and his name is Nick Sirianni.
There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of him before. And even if you did, you probably did not know it much about him.
So let’s correct it with insight from those who know Sirianni best. I reach out to Chris Blystone of Stampede Blue and he was courteous enough to answer my questions about the former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator.
1) Do you think the Eagles make a good decision by appointing Sirianni?
This is a difficult question to answer with any coordinator who needs to move to a head coach, but overall I believe Sirianni is a good head coach. The Colts offensive coaching staff is very cooperative, character-driven and places emphasis on analysis in their game. I expect to see Sirianni carry it to the Eagles and apply a similar style as head coach.
Sirianni is a high option as head coach. He is a leader, a respected person and a creative mind. He spent a lot of time working closely with Frank Reich on an offensive staff that was as adaptable as you might hope, while still putting together solid offensive performances.
2) How much of the role did Sirianni really play in the Colts’ attack when Frank Reich mentioned plays? What are some things that stood out schematically during his time in Indy?
Although he may not have made a game day call, Sirianni was certainly strongly involved in the game planning. In many ways he was the Frank Reich of Reich’s Pederson. He acted as a sounding board for Reich and the man closest to Reich during his time in Indy.
In addition, Reich, Sirianni and former QB coach Marcus Brady, who is now the Colts’ offensive coordinator, would attend weekly protection meetings and were deeply involved in planning the pass protection for the week. That included the backs, the backs and the offensive line all coming together, and the process is likely one that Sirianni will continue, and that’s a big part of why the Colts have been so good at pass protection over the past three seasons.
The striking areas of excellence in the Colts offense at the time Sirianni was there were in terms of winning games with good route combinations and scheme rather than relying on skill players. The Colts did not have a great reception in the time that Reich was the head coach, and they had to win just as much as through their individual players.
Steady points and runners played a big part in the Colts offense, and probably for any offense Sirianni ran.
3) There’s a lot of talk about how the Eagles hired Sirianni in part to correct Carson Wentz. Based on the performances of the Colts’ backs, what confidence do you have in Siranni to get the best out of Wentz?
As I mentioned earlier, Sirianni is likely to be a major asset in pass protection. Having a coherent vision to keep Wentz upright and unhindered while trying to carry out the offense is the first step in unlocking his potential at MVP level from previous years. If the player is still there, the part of Sirianni’s methods will probably be a help.
I think Eagles fans should expect a struggle, but I also think Sirianni has proven himself to be a capable coach who in his time as an attacking coordinator had to adapt to a ridiculously chaotic position. He goes from Andrew Luck at his best, to a surprising switch to a backup as an appetizer in Jacoby Brissett, to an aging Philip Rivers. These players all have different abilities and strengths, but the Colts managed to get good production out of it.
If the 2017 Carson Wentz is still there, I think Sirianni will attract him.
4) Are there Colts assistant coaches on the rise, you can see him trying to bring Philly? I know Jonathan Gannon already has rumors.
The Colts coach has been the source of a lot of rumors and speculations about this season as they seem to be sought after in the league. I think Gannon might make the most likely pair if he were to bring any coaching team along.
Frank Reich allowed the defense under Matt Eberflus to work without his input and interference. I would expect Sirianni to bring in a similarly talented defensive coach with a coherent philosophy about players. Jonathan Gannon brings unique experience to a roster because he has spent time as a scout as well as his defensive background. He proved to be a capable developer of young talent on corner and safety, where the Colts basically immediately plugged in their rookies and asked them to play important roles in defense.
5) What, if anything, can you tell us about Sirianni off the field? To what extent does he bring leadership to the table?
Like Frank Reich, Sirianni is a man of faith and high character. He is much loved and respected in the organization, and although he brings a little more fire to the practice field than Reich, he is cut from the same cloth.
He was part of a Colts organization that held many emotional meeting meetings to discuss how the team felt following the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests. Those staff made it a focus to go over more than just football, and although there will always be business decisions to be made in this game, they did their best to create a family environment. I think you will see these things carry to the Eagles, and while it will undoubtedly be from Sirianni’s own flair, it will surprise me if it looks dramatically different than what the Colts have had in Frank Reich over the past three seasons.