All attention is on the New Orleans Saints as the Philadelphia Eagles returned to the practice field on Wednesday at the NovaCare Complex for a walkthrough. Head Coach Nick Sirianni has been down this road before – a tough loss on Monday night with a challenging road game in front of him – and the message he had for his players is simply this: Stay positive and focus on the task at hand.
Otherwise, it's business as usual preparing for the 2-0 Saints, a team that won in convincing fashion against Carolina and Dallas in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively.
And that's that.
"My whole thing is, OK, we've got some adversity right now, but let's have the right mindset and work hard and prepare the right way," Sirianni said on Wednesday afternoon. "Have a positive mindset and know you're going to get better from the things that you went through. That's important. Control what you can control. What is in the past is in the past, and we can't change that, but you can control your daily habits and the way you approach your process and put yourself in position to win the next game."
The next game is on Sunday in New Orleans and the Saints are flying high, playing as well as any team in the NFL. It is a tremendous challenge for the Eagles and, hey, that's part of the league.
And as much as the challenge is physical coming off a late and draining Monday night game, it is just as much mental. The mind controls the body, right? Sirianni is emphasizing, as he always does, the importance of a positive, productive daily approach.
Focus on your job, know your role, and be a star in that role. That is the most important contribution to team success from one side of the locker room to the other.
"Understand that when you have the right mindset, when you focus on controlling what you can control, you're going to affect other people on the team," Sirianni said. "You're going to be a great example to everyone else in the building. Look at how Player A or Player B or Player C is handling the situation and do it that way as well. It is our job as coaches to send that message and it is their job as players and leaders to do the same.
"Provide the example and others will follow."
That's the team's mindset with the Saints up next and the only thing that matters is preparing to play the best game of this young season to date.
