Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is demanding more from his team. Despite beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-25, there was still a lot of room for improvement.
“We weren’t coaching, playing [well] second half — they got us,” he said postgame, via The Athletic reporter Zach Berman on X, formerly Twitter.
“We had enough of a lead and made enough turnovers to hang onto the lead, but we obviously didn’t play good there. Running game, passing game — it was everything. You can’t single out one.” The blunt assessment fit the night where they were dominant early but felt dicey late on, with just enough plays to survive.
The Philadelphia Eagles raced to a 24-6 edge behind Jalen Hurts carving up the blitz and a special-teams jolt when Sydney Brown scooped a blocked punt for a touchdown. Saquon Barkley later cashed in a short-yardage wrinkle off the “tush push” family for six. Then the script flipped. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed two haymakers, explosive Baker Mayfield strikes, including a 77-yarder, and turned a Sunday stroll into a one-score scramble. Philadelphia leaned on takeaways and situational ball to escape, 31-25, and move to 4-0.
Sirianni’s edge showed up beyond the podium. Cameras caught him jawing with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield near the Eagles’ sideline, a flashpoint that matched the game’s rising temperature. Broadcasters noted the back-and-forth in real time, and the clips made quick rounds. Classic Sirianni, fiery, protective of his sideline, and unbothered by the optics when his team needs a spark.
Still, the story was how close the Eagles came to letting a statement road win slip. After that first-half avalanche, Philadelphia’s offense stalled and Tampa Bay kept buying extra downs with explosives and a historic 65-yard field goal before the break. The margin never felt safe until Jihaad Campbell’s late end-zone interception and another timely stop slammed the door. The Eagles’ special teams and defense carried the finish while the offense searched for rhythm.
The takeaway isn’t panic; it’s urgency. Philadelphia has won 20 of its last 21 and remains perfect in 2025, but the standard is higher than “hang on.” For a team with Super Bowl ambitions, the tape will sting. The standings won’t. And the head coach just handed his players the kind of message that tends to travel into October.
