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Nick Sirianni has pissed off some opponents in his two seasons in Philadelphia, but that’s what makes Eagles players and fans love him even more.
Enter Giants safety Julian Love, who initially tried to sidestep any controversy during an interview with NFL Media on Thursday before jumping straight into it.
Love first gave Sirianni an underhanded compliment, commenting that the coach “doesn’t get in the way of his team”. But it struck a chord when Love was asked about Sirianni posing for the camera during the Eagles’ defeat of the Giants in the divisional round.
‘I do not like it. I don’t like it at all,” Love said on Good Morning Football. “He is in for a free ride right now. You can coach this team.
Love’s comment brings back memories of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones saying that any of the 500 coaches could have won the team’s 1992 and ’93 championships, a shot at Jimmy Johnson that was the final straw in their relationship. Johnson is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as is Jones.
Sirianni should be a candidate for Coach of the Year, but is not one of three finalists for an award voted on before the start of the playoffs.
Nevertheless, the Eagles heard Love’s bullshit, and defensive end Brandon Graham wasn’t too happy on Thursday afternoon.
“People always have something to say when they’re home,” Graham said. “I just know that coach Sirianni – it doesn’t matter – what he did last year, with a team that no one thought was going to do much, he finally got us to the playoffs. Then that’s what you are for second year should do – you should get better, bring in players to do exactly what you need and we did.
“A lot of people are just angry because of what happened this season and I understand. It had absolutely no weight because the coach proved himself every day and if you’re not here you wouldn’t really know. It’s just all lip service .”
The Eagles won all three games against the Giants this season and Sirianni is 23-11 in his two seasons as head coach.