Nakobe Dean wanted the defense to be on the field to end Sunday's game. He knows that Head Coach Nick Sirianni showed his confidence in the defense to punt the ball away rather than try a long, 55-yard field goal holding a six-point lead against Carolina, and the defense had Carolina pinned at its 2-yard line in the waning minutes of a 22-16 victory.

Just like Dean desired.

"Who else better than this year's Philadelphia defense to go out there and end the game?" Dean said after the win. "He not only showed confidence in us, he showed confidence in Braden (Mann, punter) and the punt coverage team to down it (which Avonte Maddox did, catching the punt at the 2-yard line). He showed confidence in all of us there. We just went out there and did what we were supposed to do."

Showing confidence in his players. That's what Nick Sirianni is all about – whether he's deciding to go for it on fourth down, when he's pumping up his players, when he goes back to a receiver after a missed pass, or sticks with someone who isn't playing his best at the very moment. This is one of the ways Sirianni connects with his players and, clearly, it is working.

Sirianni's record with the Eagles is nothing short of stellar. Take note …

• The Eagles have started 11-2 or better through 13 games for just the fifth time in team history, having also done so in 2022 (12-1), 2017 (11-2), 2004 (12-1), and 1980 (11-2).
• Sirianni is just the second head coach in franchise history to direct three straight 11-plus win campaigns, joining Andy Reid from 2000-04 (5).
• Philadelphia previously won nine in a row during the 2017, 2003, and 1960 seasons.
• Sirianni has produced a 45-19 (.703) career record in four seasons with Philadelphia.
• According to Elias Sports, Sirianni's .703 winning percentage is the 6th-highest in NFL history, behind Guy Chamberlin (.784, 58-16-7 from 1922-27), John Madden (.759, 103-32-7 from 1969-78), Vince Lombardi (.738, 96-34-6 from 1959-67, '69), Ray Flaherty (.720, 54-21-3 from 1936-42), and George Allen (.712, 116-47-5 from 1966-77).
• His .703 winning percentage ranks 3rd among NFL head coaches since 2021, trailing only Reid (.762, 48-15) and Sean McDermott (.726).

The Eagles have won nine straight games since their bye week and Sirianni's guidance after a 2-2 start is a huge reason why.

"We're all in this thing together and that's the way it is," safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson said. "We want to always play hard and win for each other. That is our culture. That is the way we think and that goes back to Coach. We play for each other every day. That's us."

Next up: A very good 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers team that is physical, outstanding defensively, and led on the offense by a longtime Eagles nemesis, quarterback Russell Wilson, who has a 6-0 lifetime record against the Eagles (5-0 in the regular season, 1-0 in the playoffs when he was with Seattle).

1. "It's always going to start with us up front"

Left tackle Jordan Mailata knows that defenses are going to always try to stop the Philadelphia running game first and foremost. That's why it's fun to run the ball, no matter what. The Eagles put up 209 yards on Carolina, led by Saquon Barkley's 124 rushing yards. It was the fifth time this season the Eagles have rushed for 200 or more yards.

"I'm happy for Saquon and I know that for us, it's a privilege to block for such a great football player," Mailata said. "We were trying to counter them and the things they were doing, some of which we hadn't seen. We have the highest confidence that we can run the football against any defense. That's our approach."

Said Barkley: "I've said this the whole time: The guys up front are making it happen for me. I'm just following them. They are the best offensive line in the game and they are a huge part of the success we are having running the ball. They deserve their credit."

Pittsburgh's run defense ranks fourth in the NFL, allowing just 91.5 rushing yards per game. So, the Eagles have their work cut out for them on Sunday.

2. The weird Saquon Barkley stat for the 2024 season

Lost in all of the greatness of Barkley's season to date, in which he leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,623 yards) and yards from scrimmage (1,890), is this: Barkley leads the NFL with 11 touches on which he was tackled at the 1-yard line. Quarterback Jalen Hurts passed or rushed for a touchdown after all but one of those touches. Barkley, who has 11 rushing touchdowns this season, has not scored a TD on any drive on which he was tackled at the 1-yard line in 2024.

3. Philadelphia's defense continues to shine

The Eagles, as we know, have been the best defense in the league this season, and on Sunday they had what Sirianni called a "bend-but-don't-break" kind of game. The numbers say it was better than that, actually. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young passed for 191 yards, and so now Philadelphia has allowed fewer than 225 passing yards in nine consecutive games. That is the club's longest streak since the 1997 season (also nine). That 1997 Eagles team went 6-9-1 with Head Coach Ray Rhodes and Defensive Coordinator Emmitt Thomas and the defense was led by players such as safety Brian Dawkins, cornerback Troy Vincent, linebacker William Thomas, and defensive linemen Hollis Thomas, Mike Mamula, and Rhett Hall.

This defense has come together nicely, with each level contributing.

"That's what is great about our defense," linebacker Zack Baun said. "We are playing complementary football. We fit well, we're all hungry and running to the football, and it means something to us. I think you see how much we love each other and love playing with each other by the way we're playing defense out there."

4. Lane Johnson moving his way up the record books

Right tackle Lane Johnson remains at the top of his game, a remarkable accomplishment for a player taken in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Johnson is also moving up the ladder on games played in his Eagles-only career, and is going to be in rarified air very soon.

Johnson appeared in his 156th career NFL regular-season game on Sunday, tying Jerry Sisemore (1973-84) for the 4th-most by an Eagles OL since the 1970 merger, trailing only Jason Kelce (193, 2011-23), Tra Thomas (166, 1998-2008), and Guy Morriss (158, 1973-83) in that category.

Is it time to start thinking about Johnson, a five-time Pro Bowl player and four-time All-Pro as a player who deserves the highest individual honor? He is keeping everything on a day-to-day basis.

"I just go through my routine every day to prepare and go from there," he said. "That other stuff, I'm just playing the best I can to help us win football games. That's my only focus."