Head Coach Nick Sirianni for NFL Coach of the Year? (12/29/21)

Through the first seven games of the season, the Eagles were one of the worst teams in the NFL.

They had a rookie head coach who had no idea what he was doing, and as a result quarterback, Jalen Hurts’ performance on the field was subpar.

The offense had no rhythm or flow to it due to Sirianni’s inability to run the ball consistently.

The week following the Lions game, Sirianni brought up the “flower”. He talked about how a football team is like a flower, it needs time to grow and develop.

At the time, it was a silly comparison because the team was struggling and had not shown any signs of improvement throughout the beginning of the season.

But that comparison has completely turned around the Eagles season.

Ever since the flower proposition, the team has played like one of the best teams in the league with a 6–2 record over the last eight games.

The Eagles have become a run-heavy offense, and it has worked to perfection. No other team in the NFL is better at running the ball than the Eagles.

Last season, the Eagles were 26th in points scored per game. This season in Sirianni’s first year, they are averaging the ninth most points per game with a lot of the same players from last year’s team.

The shift from a pass-heavy offense to a run-heavy offense has done wonders for Hurts. The newly found offense has taken the load off of his arm and has allowed him to use his legs and run the ball, which is a big strength of his.

Despite the injuries and the lack of playing time early in the season, running back Miles Sanders had a five-game stretch where he compiled a total of 454 rushing yards. Unfortunately, Sanders suffered a broken hand in last week’s game against the Giants and it’s unclear whether or not he will be back this season.

Even without Sanders, the team’s running game has still worked to perfection.

Jordan Howard who was elevated from the team’s practice squad during the season has exceeded expectations.

When given the opportunity, Howard has played like a number one running back. On only 75 carries, Howard has compiled 380 rushing yards on 5.1 yards per carry.

There are still two games left in the regular season and the Eagles are not guaranteed a playoff spot, but whether or not the team makes the playoffs, Sirianni still deserves credit for the way he has coached this team.

The Eagles already have four more wins compared to last season, which is a major improvement considering that nobody had any expectations for this team before the start of the season.

Last season, this organization was viewed as the most dysfunctional in the entire league because of the firing of Super Bowl champion head coach Doug Pederson and the departure of franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.

Because of Sirianni, this franchise is back on the right track toward contention.