Yes, Head Coach Nick Sirianni said on Wednesday as he addressed the media in a virtual press conference, his players are being held accountable now as they are at every time in every point in every season. Yes, he has full confidence in his players and his coaching staff as the Eagles prepare for a Christmas afternoon tussle against NFC East rival New York at Lincoln Financial Field.
And no, there aren't any reasons he sees that the Eagles can't get back on track and right things for the remainder of this 2023 season, including the playoffs.
"Same methods I use when we're winning. The exact same," Sirianni said when asked about keeping the players accountable. "When you change who you are or your change your core values based off of wins and losses, that's when you're going to lose the team and so it's the exact same accountability regardless of the outcome.
"That's the only way you're going to end up getting better. We're in a little bit of a skid right now that I'm very confident we're going to be able to get out of because of the people that we have in this building."
Sirianni emphasized what he truly believes: The team's daily habits are its core values and they live and breathe those core values throughout the seasons.
He also spoke about the offense, one that has struggled the last three games yet still ranks among the best in the league in most major categories except two: giveaways and explosive plays. Those are two areas that need to improve.
"We've just gotta get it back on track," he said.
The three-game losing streak hasn't been up to the team's standard, Sirianni acknowledged, and the goal is to raise the level of the team – in every area – starting right now. It is never just one thing when a team loses football games and it is never one thing when a team wins a game, so that's the juggling act.
The Eagles also have some injuries to contend with, including Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson, who reportedly underwent thumb surgery on Wednesday.
All of that is part of a long NFL regular season. The Eagles return home for their first game against their division-rival Giants, whom they play twice in three weeks.
"We'll take it one game and day at a time," Sirianni said, stating that the team will rely on the connection its built all these many months together, the fundamentals and discipline the team employs each day, and, yes, the core values that are the foundation of the Sirianni program.
"One game at a time. I'm not worried about three games," he said. "I'm not worried about any of that. I'm worried about this next game, period, because that has been a common question: 'What do you have to do the next three games?' I'm not worried about that.
"I'm worried about today, and I'm going to go back up (to his office at the NovaCare Complex) and gameplan. I'm worried about today, and that's it. You put your head down and you work and you get better at today."
