Q. Through six games, you guys had two takeaways. The last 10 games you have 23. What factors do you think went into the turnaround in that area?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, we sure spent a lot of time on that on takeaways, on protecting the football. You know, it's an emphasis in every meeting that we have. Every time they're out on the field, guys are doing a great job of getting after the ball.
And sometimes that's just the way this goes. You know, you have a streak where you open up turnovers, guys get confidence on how to do it and the techniques and all those different things that play into it. And you just kind of get on a role. And I guess that's kind of what happened.
Q. Now that you guys are locked into the 2 seed, have you made a decision if you're going to play the starters next week and give Saquon a chance to set the record?
NICK SIRIANNI: Still not there. And obviously I gave the players off today. They'll be back in in couple days, or be back in -- by the next time I talk to you they'll be back in. So I'll always inform them before I inform anyone else.
I know you guys are going to want that answer as soon as you guys can get it. And I'll try to help you guys do your job as much as I possibly can. But I'll always inform our players of things first. But still sorting through things right now at this particular moment.
Q. Is Jalen Hurts yet out of concussion protocol?
NICK SIRIANNI: No new information on there. Haven't met with our medical team yet. Still going through our game evaluations today, and then we'll move on here to the Giants. But no new news for you guys on the injury front.
Q. If he does come out this week, I know you say you haven't made a decision, but what do you weigh in a final game him being out this past game, going into the playoffs, whether you think he needs on-game experience before getting into the playoffs?
NICK SIRIANNI: You take everything into account. Try to do the best thing for the team and try to do the best thing for each individual player as well. So that's where we'll be. No decisions yet on anything.
Q. How do you guys attack this week? You have one of two potential playoff opponents in the Packers and the Commanders and the Giants in Week 18. How do you sort of divvy up those responsibilities as you're looking ahead towards the playoffs?
NICK SIRIANNI: Get ready for the Giants. Everything we need to do in a normal week we've got to do this week and get ready to play the Giants on Sunday.
Q. You don't do advanced work this week?
NICK SIRIANNI: We take one day at a time, one week at a time. Getting ready for the Giants.
Q. Want to talk about Cam Jurgens. I know the season started with a lot of questions about Jason Kelce retiring and how Cam would do. Now that you've had a full season with him as starting center, what are your thoughts about him and how he's played and how he's been able to fill those shoes?
NICK SIRIANNI: I think he's done a really nice job. It's never easy to replace a legend, which we all know how special of a player and leader Jason Kelce was. So he's had to step in and fill those shoes. And I think he's done a really nice job.
Obviously you look at everything first. You look at having 13 wins. Cam is in the center of a 13-win football team. He's got to play good for that to happen. He's played good for us to be able to do that.
You've got a 2,000-yard rusher, which is special. The center's got to play good for that to happen as well.
I think all the writing's on the wall of how good of football he's played and all the good things he's done based off what this team has done. And never easy to do what he had to do there, but he's really played good football through these 16 games.
Q. Kenny said after the game that he was going to get more tests done on his ribs. How is he doing, and does his injury give you any pause about playing him for any amount of time against the Giants this weekend?
NICK SIRIANNI: We'll see where he is as the week continues. Again, haven't met with him yet on this with the injuries or anything like that. So I'll have more information for you the next time we talk. But Kenny sure showed toughness to be able to go out there.
He was able to go out there and play really good football to help us win that football game through something that is very painful. So it just shows you how tough of a competitor he is and how tough of a person he is that he went out and did those things.
So, really excited for how he played. And I'm sure he's sore. I'll let him answer that. Again, I don't have that information. But I'm sure he is.
But all I can say is we've got a group of tough football players in here, and that shows in a lot of different ways. That shows through your mental and physical toughness and your ability to play through things and play through pain, which at this point of the year everyone's playing through pain. But Kenny, really just a special performance through the circumstances.
Q. This week, if we're able to get some second- and third-string players snaps, what's the value in that for them and also for the team?
NICK SIRIANNI: Again, I don't know obviously where we are with that yet, but anytime anybody's able to play game reps and meaningful snaps in the NFL, that's huge. It gives you an evaluation process. It gives those guys an opportunity that haven't gotten an opportunity to play to play in meaningful reps.
That's always huge when you can do that. Like I said, we'll see where we are with that, but a good opportunity if that's the way we go.
Q. This is your fourth time coming to the end of the season, reaching the playoffs, understanding you've got week 18 to go. How much, you've been in different circumstances, how much of your approach has changed over the years, or has it?
NICK SIRIANNI: Again, you try to grow each year and each day that you go through this thing and try to get better from the mistakes that you've made and try to even get better from the good things you felt like you've done.
My message to the guys is constantly grow every single day. I'm not just saying that to those guys; I'm saying that to myself, I'm saying that to my staff -- players, coaches and myself.
You think that you go through this enough and you go through these things, you're never going to have it all figured out, that's for darn sure. You're learning something new every day on this job.
But it's just a matter of can you get better from all those things each and every day. So, you feel more prep -- every day I'm on this job, I feel like I've gotten a little better each day. So I guess to answer that, I'm four years better, I guess is what I'm saying.
Q. Getting back to Tanner McKee, obviously he was able to get into the game the other day. How important is that for his development, obviously since he really hadn't gotten into a game just about two full seasons? And what did you think about the way he played?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, obviously, what, 3-for-4 with two touchdowns. That's pretty darned good and threw another one that A.J. probably made one of the best catches I've ever seen, just happened to be a little out of bounds. The ball was in the right place. He went the right place with the football.
Accurate with the football. Ran our offense well. Got us in and out of checks, was sound with his communication at the line of scrimmage and in the huddle. He did a lot of good things.
Anytime these guys get to play in these situations, in game situations -- and preseason you do your best to simulate that, but it's huge when you're able to get one of these 17 games in and play in that. So anytime any player's able to do that, that's huge, especially at the quarterback position.
So, Tanner did a lot of really good things as I mentioned, and we're excited about him. And we're excited about him and Kenny.
Really love that room with Jalen and those two guys being his backups. Really have a lot of respect for that room and all the things that that room's been able to -- how they've been able to continue to get better as the year's progressed.
Q. Sly said that Kenny's ribs were broken yesterday after the game. I know he's not a doctor, but is that the case?
NICK SIRIANNI: Kenny was hurting. He had rib issues. So, yeah, I mean, he was dealing with rib pain, for sure.
Q. The other thing I wanted to ask you, you've had decisions to make at the last game of the season all four years here now. Your first year, you guys couldn't improve any on the seeding. The other two years you were still alive for something. How much did those things play into those decisions at that time?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, every year is a little different and every team is different. I believe that first year we were locked into the 7 seed. And so we decided to do what we did in that game.
In '22, if I remember right, we were playing still to win the division and the 1 seed at that particular time. I think we had won 13 games at that point and Dallas had won 12 and I think Dallas lost at the end of the year and we won. But we had to win that game to get the 1 seed and get the division. So, a little different scenario there. The Giants rested players in that game, if I remember correctly.
Last year, there was still a chance we could have won the division. In that, it was kind of a little bit like '22 because we still could have won the division there had the Cowboys lost and we won. So it was kind of the flip there.
And this year we're locked into the 2 seed.
Every year is a little different, has been a little different. I would say it's still not handbook of, hey, if we're in this I'm going to do that and if we're in that we'll do that. Every team is a little different. Every year is different.
The situation may be similar. You use those past experiences to help you. But you've got to feel where your team is and those different things to make the best decision for the 2024 Eagles and the individuals on that team.
Q. What went into the decision to have Jake Elliott handle kickoffs? And do you think suggesting that Braden would remain the kicker on Friday played a role in the success you guys had kicking off?
NICK SIRIANNI: Again, with that right there, we knew we had a big job to do with Turpin back there. He's a special, special football player. And so we wanted to do something there with some of the ball placements we were doing and where the ball was getting kicked.
We thought Jake gave us an opportunity to be the best -- gave us the best opportunity to do that.
And I can't say enough how good the special teams unit -- Turpin was able to get out of there one time, and they had a hold on that play to help him do that. But he's a dangerous player. And for us to do what we did on kickoffs, with all the kickoffs we had, to limit his big-play ability, and also on the punts, I think Braden and Jake did an excellent job there and our kickoff units and punt units there.
So, again, really was really pleased with the way the special teams units went out there -- and anytime you have a player like that on the other side of the ball, you've got sleepless nights as a coach, and you're thinking about that an awful lot.
So anytime you're able to do that against one of the players in this league, like Turpin is, in this league, hats off to our special teams guys, special teams coaches -- Coach Clay, Coach Brown, Coach Pannunzio, great job by them. And then great job by our players for going out and executing.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports