Q. Hey, Nick, I know you've said we're boring and we prep the same way every week. I'm curious, when there is so much familiarity between two teams, does it change anything as you guys game plan and go about your week? Obviously Washington knows what you guys do well, weaknesses and strengths and vice versa. Does that come into play at all during this week?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you account for everything and you go through different plans. I mean, everything in your mindset is the same, everything with your routine. You can change things a little bit here and there on routine, but the process is going to be the same.
So a game where you're playing someone for the third time of course you look at the things you've done against them, what they've done against you, what was successful, all those different things.
So that's definitely part of our process any time we play a team year to year or multiple times in a year.
Q. What does it take to get buy-in from receivers in the run blocking game?
NICK SIRIANNI: Selfless people. Yeah, and I think that's exactly what we have there. I think that's the biggest part of it, is loving your teammates, selflessness, and we've had some very big time blocks down the field by our receivers to create some of those huge runs.
Receivers have a unique ability to change a run from -- when it gets through the line of scrimmage and everybody does their job on the line of scrimmage to turn a ten yard gain into a 40 yard gain.
It's as simple of that: Selflessness.
Q. Is there conversation this week with the players about not letting their emotions get the best of them?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, we had a couple penalties there last time. We addressed that. I think we talked about that the week it happened, right? We've done a good job since then, and we're on that path of controlling ourselves and celebrating with each other and, yeah, we been doing a good job of that since then.
Q. What's the moment like when you can see that Saquon is about to spring one, he's just getting into the clear? For you, for the sideline, what that's instant like?
NICK SIRIANNI: Probably the same for you and the fans and everybody. You know, it's pretty awesome. He's so elusive in the open field so you get excited. We don't hide our emotion on the sideline. You see us kind of jumping around, having fun there, too.
So exciting moment any time he breaks one. I think the coolest thing about it is that it takes everybody, right? It takes everybody. You know it takes everybody and when he get in the end zone or breaks a big long run like that, you can't wait to congratulate not just him but the other guys that made that happen.
Q. Can I just follow up? How early in the play can you tell that he's gone?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, I don't know. (Smiling.) I don't know. I don't really think -- I guess I don't really think about that like that.
You know, I know that once he does break through there is opportunity for a huge play. Never been somebody that puts my hands up early before the ball is complete or something. If you know you got a shot open and the ball is going to complete, you don't ever -- I don't think that way I guess to say.
Yeah, because I think even what I do, I think I do this every time, when he does get a big one, I get excited and we get excited, my natural reaction is to look back to see if there is any penalty on the play and to see if that long run is going to stand.
Q. Is Brandon Graham close to returning?
NICK SIRIANNI: I have no update on Brandon. He's been awesome and he's been here just help leading the team. I love him.
Q. What made you go walk-through today?
NICK SIRIANNI: Just what I felt was best for the team today.
Q. How is Jalen feeling today?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, he'll be out there in walk-through.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
NICK SIRIANNI: He'll be out at walk-through.
Q. As an offensive guy, what stands out about Jayden Daniels as a rookie quarterback that maybe you as a coach don't see that often?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, I think he can -- he's able to win different ways. He can win with his arm. He can win with his legs. He can extend plays and make a play with his legs and extend a play and make a play with his arm.
And so, yeah, you can see that he's calm and cool in the biggest moments, and, yeah, got a lot of respect for how he's playing. Obviously had a great year and they're doing a great I've been with him over there. They're coaching staff is doing a great job with him over there.
Obviously they're hot right now.
Q. Outside of those penalties what were the other big lasting takeaways from that Commanders game that can be applied?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, again, there is always things you learn from each game, win, lose, draw, whatever. We made our corrections after that game to get better from it. We made our notes after that game.
I'm not going to probably sit up here and tell you all the things that we planned to do or what we expect or anything like that. I know they'll have new things for us; we'll have new things for them.
It's going to be a good matchup.
Q. To follow up on the Daniels question, how big a benefit is it to have seen him live twice versus maybe a team linebacker the Lions who hadn't seen him live at all?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, any time you play somebody multiple times you're going to know things about them. Again being going back, they're going to have new wrinkles for us. We're going to have new wrinkles for them. It'll be a game of, hey, they're doing this off that and we're going to have to adjust to things.
Yeah, you see the things that he hurt us on last game and try to correct them. I know they're doing the same.
Q. Were you disappointed at all in yourself after that game because of the thing you had with Zack and can you talk about how Zack has had a resurrection here?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, Zack is playing really good football. Not a surprise at all. Yeah, Zack and I are good. We talked after that night. Had a good laugh. I've been very impressed with all the plays that he's made.
Not that I'm surprised at all. He's a great football player, a great Eagle. I enjoyed my time coaching him. Yeah, he's playing really good football. He's been a big time target for this team on third down and fourth down and doing all the things that I remember him being able to do at a very high level.
Q. You were with Brian Johnson for a bit obviously. Can you see some of what Brian does well?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, of course. Brian is a great football coach. You can see his influence on the quarterback. You can see his influence on the offense. Ton of respect for Kliff, too. His fingerprints are obviously all over that. It's his offense.
Yeah, definitely I just know how good of a coach Brian is and you can see how the quarterback is playing. Brian has something to do with that for sure.
Q. To go from Fletcher Cox to Jalen Carter, what went into that transition? How important was that investment? How much does Jalen Carter mean to the team right now?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, Jalen Carter is playing well good football. Excited that he's continuing to get better. I talked a lot about him and his development and all the things -- obviously the talent is there, but he's developed so much as far as just everything, instincts and just continues to get better.
He's got great football instincts and, yeah, to have two phenomenal defensive tackles back-to-back, that says a lot. Same thing with Jason to Cam. Same type of deal.
So obviously you miss those guys. I miss being around Jason every day, Fletch every day, but these two guys are playing really good football. Excited of their path and continued development.
Q. Fifth straight home game here and you won nine in a row at home. Maybe other than the obvious, where do you see the advantages that being home The Linc has given you in some of those games?
NICK SIRIANNI: I think it's the obvious. It's the atmosphere. It's the crowd. It's the noise. Like when the parity is so close -- which the NFL is, and that's week to week and more so in the playoffs. When the parity is so close everything matters. You not being able to communicator not on offense is a huge deal.
So I know how rowdy it will be. I know how rowdy the fans will be. We love playing in front of them. Especially in this atmosphere. We love playing in front of them regardless what game it is. I know the last time we were in this setting when I was here in '22 it was an electric crowd.
And then I always remember -- I've said this a bunch -- I remember Jonathan Gannon before we played in that game -- not when he rolled his window down and said what he said to the fans -- but I remember what Jonathan Gannon said when we got here about 2017 when he was an opposing coach for the Vikings.
He was like oh, my gosh. This place was rocking and I can't wait for it to be like that while we're coaching here.
So it's an amazing fan base. Amazing crowd. The atmosphere is like no other. We're excited to play here?
Q. How do the Commanders match your team in terms of physicality?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, this is a very physical team. I think that you see both teams playing with relentless effort. I can see that on their tape. Dan does an unbelievable job getting those guys to play hard. I think he does a great job getting those guys to play physical.
And they got physical guys that are tough. So I think sometimes that plays into some of the -- you guys ask me about the chippiness, sometimes that plays into it. When two teams are going as hard as they possibly can go until the whistle blows, it's just going to be a great battle.
I really respect how they play as a football team.
Q. What impresses you most about the way your offensive line has been playing during the playoffs?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, tough, nasty, physical, smart. Just can't say enough about them, that unit, of how they play. We got great leaders on that unit. Lane, all of them, Jordan, Landon. Cam is doing a great job. Been awesome having Mehki here and what he's brought to us.
Again, they play hard, mean, physical. I think that on top of all those things you can do all those things and play with great football IQ and I believe we do that.
Q. Slay has still been effective at this stage of his career. Vic pointed out how much he still likes to play and said that's a big part of it. It seems obvious, but I guess it's not. What is your perspective of that?
NICK SIRIANNI: That any time you're around Slay, he's got this energy and this love for his teammates and love for football and this love for life. That's infectious. There is a reason he continues to be voted a captain.
You get around him and you just can't help -- he can't help himself of his love for his teammates. Any time you talk to Slay he talks about his teammates. Just football. Just everything. So that's infectious.
You love having guys like that. We got a lot of guys like that here and Slay a definitely at the top of the list there of just bringing that positive energy every day regardless of the circumstances. It's a long season and there is something to that. He is a phenomenal player, leader, and I've loved being around him for the past four years.
Q. When you guys go up against a high-level quarterback do you notice that Jalen's competitive level ratchets up?
NICK SIRIANNI: I think what I love most about Jalen Hurts is that he's consistent and he's the same guy all the time. You know, no matter who we're playing, when we're playing, practice, in game, he's consistent. He is the same guy.
He loves football. He loves the process that it takes. He loves the weight room. You know, and so Jalen is pretty stoic as you guys know, and I love that about him. You know, same thing I said about Jayden Daniels, he's calm, cool. I feel the same exact thing about Jalen Hurts.
Yeah, I don't think he gets wrapped too much into that. He's wrapped into winning and how he's going to win each and every football game. I love that about our quarterback, how he goes about his business every day.
Q. In the portion of your postgame victory speech that the team publicized from this past Sunday, you were telling your players that you have business to finish. What was the driving force behind that part of your message, and how much does that have to do with you coming really close two seasons ago?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you know, our business is this next game. Not thinking about anything else. I think kind of talked about when you get a win like that, all that does is make us more hungry to go out and do it again. More hungry? Hungrier?
Q. Either.
NICK SIRIANNI: Both are acceptable? Okay. That's just about enjoy it -- it's just another way to say, hey, let's get back to work. Let's enjoy this and get back to work. You could say it that way, hey, we got business to handle, unfinished business to handle.
But we know that the work that you put in through the week is what preps you for the games. None of us just show up at the game and expect results.
You expect the results and to play to your standard based off how you go about your week. That's really just another way of saying that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports