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As the Philadelphia Eagles play the Baltimore Ravens Sunday afternoon, they are coming off an interesting bye week that saw the building relationship between quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni. As the Eagles look to send a strong message to the rest of the league, the offense looks to improve, as was the intention during the bye week.
While some teams may use a bye week to get a break from football life fully, it was not that way for the Eagles and specifically Hurts and Sirianni. According to reporting from Ian Rapoport, the signal-caller and head coach were connected throughout the break, trying to find every way to improve the offense and the rest of the team.
“With an eye on bonding and a mission of improving the entire operation,” Rapoport wrote. “Sirianni and Hurts decided not to use the bye week to rest. Instead, they decided to stay connected — on Zoom, on the phone, and in person. According to multiple sources, they spent hours each day breaking down the team, focusing on the offense, spotlighting leadership, and hitting on all issues.”
“It was, in the words of one source, “a galvanizing moment” in the season,” Rapoport continued.
Relationship between Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts on Eagles “thrived”
As fans lock in their predictions for the Eagles' game against the Ravens, what they should know is that due to this work behind the scenes, the team will be not just fully rested but also fully prepared. Plus, the relationship between Hurts and Sirianni “thrived” as they would spend hours talking digitally or in person.
“And while the focus on the relationship between Hurts and Sirianni was a major theme this offseason, with the spotlight off during the bye, it thrived,” Rapoport wrote. “And so has the team.”
“According to a source, Hurts and Sirianni spent roughly two hours on phones, FaceTime, Zoom and in person,” Rapoport continued. “Then, randomly, they'd talk for 30 minutes a day if something came up. They reviewed call sheets, talked about the team's identity, and Hurts asked pointed questions about what he can improve upon.”
Eagles' bonding moment during bye week could lead to explosive finish
So far in 2024, Hurts has thrown for 2,376 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions while also rushing for 456 yards with 11 scores. However, it wasn't just the 26-year-old quarterback that got this treatment as it was the rest of the staff, including the offensive line and even Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley.
“And it wasn't just the two of them,” Rapoport wrote. “The entire staff would get involved, with the offensive line and Barkley joining in with respected offensive staffers such as OC Kellen Moore and passing game coordinator and associate head coach Kevin Patullo, as well.”
“Most teams are happy to take a full breather during the bye,” Rapoport continued. “But, in part because of the Eagles' early bye and not necessarily needing rest, all parties continued to work. It was nonstop questions, from what have we done in the past that we liked, to what did we do in camp, to what's not working and so on. One source reflected how cool it was for Sirianni and Hurts to bond.”
Philadelphia is 9-2, which puts them at the top of the NFC East.
