NICK SIRIANNI: Hit it.
Q. Nick, Brandon Graham is going to set a franchise mark for games played. What has he meant to you in your time here?
NICK SIRIANNI: Man, he's a special player, special leader, special person, and so just to be able to step into an organization -- again, and I always feel like I group all those guys together with those four guys that have been ten-year plus Eagles. That's a unique situation, and it's really helped my job as a head coach. Made it a lot more simple -- not simple; I don't think that's the right way to say it.
But just helped me out in my transition from becoming an offensive coordinator to a head coach because of the leader that he, to have leaders like that. So he's awesome. He's unbelievable.
In that first year, you know, when he got hurt that first year, right, I missed him being around every day. Once he was healthy enough he was around every day, and you could feel the difference.
I mean, there is just -- I could talk about him for a long time here and I want to be respectful and answer everybody's questions I can.
But, man, he's a special guy. And I saw him this summer somewhere on the Jersey Shore, and he's like, hey, coach -- we were at the same pool. He was like, hey, coach, can I use that ball that you have? And I'm like, yeah, no problem. I throw him the ball. He's like, I'm going to play catch with my son.
Next thing I know being he's playing catch with the entire pool, like 30 kids. He wanted to play catch with his son, but he's playing catch with the entire pool. That's the type of guy he is. It was mostly kids playing catch, but grown ups are going by, whoo, give me a shot. He's throwing it to them. The guy is unbelievable.
I actually appreciate the question because it gave me a chance to brag on him. Again, just not only a great football player, great person, great teammate, great leader, you name it, and I think you would hear the same thing from ever person in the locker room and in this building.
Q. Some video got out about your actions after the game. I'm wondering if that's something you embraced because it's you being you, or is it something maybe when you watch it back you're like, oh, is that me, and do I need to kind of like maybe curtail some of it?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you know, emotions run high in games. I give it to the Kansas City fans. They were rowdy. They had some good things to say coming in at halftime. Some good things to say when they would score. I don't hear fans all that often; I did in this game. I definitely heard them at halftime.
And so I give them credit. They aren't Philly fans. They're not as good as Philly fans, but I definitely heard a couple things they were saying in the game.
And so, hey, you always look at those things. To me, I'm not going to -- with everything that I am, I'm not going to hide who I am. I think that, shoot, I talked to my buddy after the Indy game last year because I had something like that with that game and he said -- he was talking to another teacher because he's a teacher and he said -- how did he say it? It was interesting.
The other teacher said to my best friend, he was like, hey, did you see how cool it was that Nick was celebrating with the Eagles fans after the game? He laughed. Nick wasn't celebrating with the Eagles fans, he was talking shit to the Colts fans. He's been doing that since I've known him. That's who he is.
You know what? I think if you're somebody you're not that gets seen through by everybody, and so, hey, like that was some -- I was emotional after the game. That was a little playful back and forth with the Kansas City fans, you know.
But, again, I tip my hat to them. They're not as good as Eagles fans, but they're good fans and we heard them. That's the way it went after the game.
I like Slay's reaction, too.
Q. When Avonte went down, assumed he would be out all years, but does he have a chance of coming back?
NICK SIRIANNI: We'll see. Yeah, we'll see. He's working hard. Working really hard to be able to. We'll see. That all depends on how his -- I know he's going to put the hard work in. I know we got the best trainers and doctors and strength staff in the NFL.
But sometimes it's just going to be all with the way the body reacts. We'll see how that goes. Hate to put a timetable on him and say, yeah, we are expecting him back and he doesn't make it or vice versa.
So day by day, we'll see.
Q. You always talk about motivation, use it if it helps you. Whether you're going back to Kansas City, playing Buffalo, if it helps you, do you ever look at it from Jeff's question, that perspective of, hey, maybe somebody will get fired up, use that as motivation?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, I do. I do. But, again, there is so many things that everybody can use for motivation. We all saw the Michael Jordan documentary. He would make things up. Listen, I think that was said in that documentary, right? He would make things up to get motivated by.
These guys in this league are here for a reason. They know how to work. They know how to get ready for games. And so maybe -- I guess that really doesn't go through my mind, but they could use it, right?
Again, use what motivates you the best. If it distracts you, it distracts you. I'm not going into the game being like, I'm from Buffalo area. Only thing I would say is like my friends that are rooting for Buffalo, that's a little crazy you're rooting for Buffalo.
I know you've rooted for Buffalo your entire lives -- and I guess I'm kind of talking to some of my friends right now. I know you rooted for Buffalo your entire lives. I got it.
But shoot, you didn't spend play all these games and different things with Sean McDermott when you were growing up, it was me. So let's reevaluate how you're thinking about this game and who you're rooting for.
Q. You were speaking earlier in the week about Brian Johnson and people were talking about him. Specific to how he's worked with Jalen this year, what have you seen that he's been able to bring out in him, the checks and things we're seeing so far?
NICK SIRIANNI: He's a great communicator. Him and Jalen have a great relationship. Jalen has played really good football because Jalen is a really good football player and he's continued to develop, but also because Brian Johnson has helped him.
And now it's just in a different stage, a different role. Obviously I have to hear things, right? Bob gets me -- whether it's the fans in Kansas City that I overhear or Bob getting me ready for the questions that I need to answer, the criticism on Brian Johnson, I think that's silly.
I think it's kind of, I don't know, I think it's a very silly take on him if there is any criticism on him. I think he's doing a phenomenal job. Offense is doing a great job.
You can look at every stat you want, but do you score as many points and win as many games? That is all it's about, right? We averaged half a point less than last year and we have the same record, so he's done a nice job.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports