Nick Sirianni has rubbed some opponents the wrong way in his two seasons in Philadelphia, but Eagles players and fans love him even more for that.
Enter Giants safety Julian Love, who, during an interview with NFL Media on Thursday, initially tried to sidestep any controversy before stepping right into it.
Love first gave Sirianni a backhanded compliment, noting the coach is “not getting in the way of his team.” But it hit a nerve when Love was asked about Sirianni posturing for the camera during the Eagles’ rout of the Giants in the divisional round.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all,” Love said on Good Morning Football. “He’s in for a free ride right now. You guys can coach this team.”
Love’s comment brings back memories of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones saying any of 500 coaches could have won the team’s 1992 and ’93 championships, a shot at Jimmy Johnson that was the final straw in their relationship. Johnson now is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as is Jones.
Sirianni should be a coach of the year candidate but is not one of three finalists for an award that was voted on before the start of the playoffs.
Nonetheless, the Eagles have heard Love’s trash talk, and defensive end Brandon Graham was none too pleased Thursday afternoon.
“People always got something to say when they’re at home,” Graham said. “I just know that coach Sirianni -- it don’t matter -- what he did last year, with a team that nobody thought was gonna do much, he ended up getting us to the playoffs. Then for his second year, that’s what you’re supposed to do -- you’re supposed to get better, bring players in to do exactly what you need them to do and we did that.
“A lot of people just mad because of what happened this season and I understand. It definitely carried no weight because coach proved himself each and every day and if you’re not in here, you wouldn’t really know that. It’s just all lip service.”
The Eagles swept all three games against the Giants this season, and Sirianni is 23-11 in his two seasons as a head coach.