Following a gutsy 17–16 win over the Colts on Sunday, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni discussed the significance of leaving Indianapolis with a victory out of respect for his friend and mentor: Frank Reich.
Week 11 marked Sirianni’s first game against the Colts since leaving the club to join the Eagles in January 2021 following a three-year stint under Reich. The contest was also Indy’s second since unceremoniously firing Reich on Nov. 7 after a 3-5-1 start to the season and replacing him with franchise legend Jeff Saturday in a controversial move hours later.
Philadelphia managed to make Sirianni’s homecoming a joyous one thanks to a Jalen Hurts touchdown late in the game to take their first and only lead of the day. During his post-game media session, Sirianni, who was noticeably emotional on the sidelines in the closing moments, explained why the game meant so much to him.
“I’m emotional because I love Frank Reich, I really do,” Sirianni said. “He’s one of the best damn football coaches I’ve ever been around. I was hoping that him and I would be able to coach against each other in this game.”
The young coach then suggested that he had some strong thoughts on Indy’s decision to part ways with Reich, but breezed past that topic to commend his team on getting the job done.
“You don’t want to know what I think, if he should be here or not, but you guys can probably imagine what I really think, and I love him. So, I got a little emotional about that,” Sirianni added. “… It was sweet to come here, especially with what happened with this organization the last couple weeks, and get the win. A win! We’re leaving Indianapolis. With. A. Win.”
During their time with the Colts from 2018 to ’20, Reich and Sirianni, serving in his first offensive coordinator job, guided the team to a combined 28–20 record. Indy also made two playoff trips and finished the regular season with a top-10 offense twice in those three seasons.
The two also worked together on the San Diego Chargers’ staff from 2013 to ’15.
After helping Sirianni make a statement in his old stomping grounds–and avenging their first loss of the season–the Eagles (9–1) will now begin preparing for a Sunday Night Football showdown with the Packers next Sunday.
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