Glendale (United States) (AFP) - Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni vowed his team would use the bitter taste of Sunday's Super Bowl defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs to drive them to go one further next season.
Sirianni led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in just his second season as a head coach and saw his side go toe-to-toe with Andy Reid's Chiefs, before going down 38-35 after a late field goal for Kansas City.
"We'll overcome this because of the type of guys we have in there.We will use this to motivate us," said an emotional Sirianni, who had wept heavily during the pre-game national anthem.
"We will use this pain.We will use this failure to motivate us so that we can make it a strength."
"It always hurts, right?Any time you don't come out on top, regardless of what you are competing at, it burns you and it gets at you," he added.
"A lot of credit to them.All the credit to them.They played a great game.It's a really good football team, a well-coached football team.But it hurts."
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was outstanding, rushing for three touchdowns and throwing another as he put up 374 yards in total, including a Super Bowl quarterback record 70 rushing yards.
"To me, Jalen played the best game I’ve seen him play in the two years that we’ve been together.He was outstanding.I really thought he was in complete control," said the Eagles coach.
"He did things with his legs in the run game.He did things with his arm in the pass game, made some unbelievable throws, unbelievable reads.I thought he played outstanding," he said.
Despite the loss Sirianni said he was optimistic for the future of the team.
"I know we’ve got a good nucleus of guys back to continue to build on.There was a lot of good football this year," he said.
"We did a lot of good things.As a team, this one stings.This one hurts.We will no doubt get better from it.
"We’ve got a good young quarterback that’s played a phenomenal year, a good offensive line, good defense.Just all accounts.
"We know we have the right people in place.This organization is a special organization," he added.
