The latest news from around the division.
Eagles Nick Sirianni “Sorry And Disappointed” For Postgame Behavior – Ed Kracz, Sport Illustrated
Philadelphia’s head coach was seen yelling at people in that stands in the fourth quarter.
The head coach wore a hangdog look. He appeared sad. Subdued. Definitely contrite. Like a high school student who had just come from the principal’s office after starting a food fight in the cafeteria earlier in the day.
Or maybe it was due to a scolding received by owner Jeffrey Lurie or even Sirianni’s wife, Brett, for bringing their three kids to a press conference following his bad behavior toward fans behind the team’s bench after the Eagles beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Sirianni, though, said he had not talked to Lurie, who is most definitely in town. The owner was seen in the postgame locker room. It’s hard to believe Lurie wouldn’t have said something to his coach, telling him to dial it down. These fans he got into it with behind the bench were presumably Eagles fans and they, after all, help keep the lights on and pay the bills.
“Mr. Lurie and me talk every time after the game, every time,” said Sirianni. “I haven’t talked to him yet (Monday). I know how supportive Mr. Lurie has been through everything.”
Everything includes a collapse late last season, finishing 1-6 after a 10-1 start. Everything includes a debacle two weeks ago in Tampa in a 33-16 loss that was not as close as the score might look. Everything also includes three straight playoff appearances and a trip to the Super Bowl.
Sirianni seemed to know on Monday that he screwed up big time on Sunday. He said his attempt to bring energy and enthusiasm went off the rails.
“I’m sorry and disappointed on how my energy was directed at the end of the game,” he said. “My energy should be all in on coaching, motivating, and celebrating with our guys and I need to have better wisdom and discernment on when to use that energy and that wasn’t the time.”
Commanders DT Jonathan Allen out for season with torn pectoral muscle – Nick Shook, NFL.com
Washington’s two-time Pro Bowler is done for the year after going down in Week 6 loss.
A key piece of Washington’s defense is done for the season.
Jonathan Allen is feared to have suffered a significant pectoral injury that will require season-ending surgery, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Monday, per sources. Commanders coach Dan Quinn confirmed later Monday that Allen suffered a torn pectoral muscle and will miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign.
“It’s a big blow for us,” Quinn told reporters. “Jon Allen’s obviously been a staple player here and the play style and the attitude… We’re really bummed for him as the man and the ballplayer. We’ll certainly miss him this season. He’ll likely get surgery in the days ahead.”
Allen suffered the injury late in the third quarter of the Commanders’ Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and did not return. Rookie Jer’Zhan Newton — a second-round pick out of Illinois in April’s draft — replaced the two-time Pro Bowler, finishing with three tackles and one quarterback pressure.
Allen has found the going tough in the last year or so, recording career-worst defensive grades in 2023 (59.7) and through six games in 2024 (53.5), per Pro Football Focus. Still, losing a first-round talent who carries the team’s third-largest cap number ($21.6 million) is discouraging, especially for a Washington team that has postseason aspirations for the first time in years, with much of the credit due to rookie signal-calling sensation Jayden Daniels.
The Commanders will have to find a way to replace Allen, who forms one half of a valuable interior pairing with Daron Payne. They’ll likely lean on the likes of Newton and Phidarian Mathis in the short term, and should be expected to make an addition along the interior if they’re forced to place Allen on injured reserve.
Giants continue to struggle with vertical passing game – John Fennelly, USA Today
Explosive plays haven’t been very common in New York.
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is frustrated with his team’s inability to execute explosive plays, especially in the vertical passing game.
“Our inability, I would say this game, to generate explosive plays, whether that’s through the run or through the air is not where I want it to be right now. So, we’ll keep doing it. Keep calling them. And we just got to keep on improving in that area,” he told reporters on Monday.
The Giants scored just seven points against a struggling Cincinnati Bengals defense on Sunday night.
There were plenty of misfires and a number of miscommunications both short and long as quarterback Daniel Jones tried to make something happen.
Jones threw deep five times in the game, completing none. One time each to Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton and three times to speedster Jalin Hyatt.
The lack of explosive plays can wear on an offense as Jones noted after the game Sunday night.
“It makes it tough,” he said. “It makes it tough when you have to do that in this league. I think credit to their defense, their scheme and their plan is to prevent some of those plays, but we’ve got to execute and find a way to generate some of them.”
Daboll was asked on Sunday night what his thoughts were on whiffing on all of the deep shots in the game.
“Look, you’re not going to be an 80 percent completion rate when you throw deep balls. You’re going to hit some, you’re going to miss some,” he said. “Obviously, they help a great deal in terms of ending drives in points when you hit them. Whether that’s catch and run, like it was on the one we got called back, or a downfield shot to Wan’Dale on the crosser. Whatever it may be. We’ll keep working at it.”
