Getty Eagles coach Nick Sirianni wants the team to grow roots like a healthy flower amid a 2-5 season.
The Jalen Reagor Revenge Tour is underway and touching down at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday Night Football. The former top pick of the Philadelphia Eagles wants to prove the team made a mistake by giving up on him.
Fair or not, Reagor has every right to want revenge. It’s the appropriate and normal reaction, according to head coach Nick Sirianni. Reagor should be fired up to face his old teammates under the lights in a prime-time matchup.
“Any time we play a team that I used to coach on, I’m like, ‘Hey, let’s go’. I love those guys over there, but I really want to get the best of them because it’s just a continuation of all the times I used to go against them in practice,” Sirianni told reporters. “I think that’s a normal reaction for anybody to have that is coming back to play at their old place. I just think that’s normal. Like I said, I go through it as well.”
Quez Watkins, Britain Covey Handling Return Duties
The Eagles had been keeping very tight-lipped about their role players on special teams. Britain Covey was elevated from the practice squad 24 hours prior to kickoff in Week 1 and handled the punt return duties. He looked good, fielding two punts for 13 yards against the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, Quez Watkins took care of kickoffs and flashed his big-play ability on a 17-yard return. He finished with three kick returns for 38 yards on the afternoon.
It stands to reason that Sirianni will keep the status quo there in Week 2, although he wasn’t willing to commit to anyone when asked about it on Saturday. He’ll keep those cards close to his vest for a second straight week.
“Quez gives us an element of big-time speed to be able to hit it back there,” Sirianni said. “I’m not going to say who is going to be back there to start things off, but [WR Britain] Covey did a nice job as far as the punt returns. That is obviously noticed. That’s why we like Quez back there, with his ability to hit it with speed.”
Britain Covey, DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins are working on catching punts
Sirianni Promises to Get DeVonta Smith Involved
A.J. Brown was the star of the season opener as he set the franchise record for receiving yards in a Philadelphia debut. He was spectacular and worth every penny of that $100 million contract. However, the Eagles offense wasn’t meant to be a one-trick pony. Sirianni promised to get the team’s other playmakers — Dallas Goedert, plus the 3 Batmans — more heavily involved moving forward.
3 batmans on the team🧐
DeVonta Smith, who was held to zero catches on four targets, might be in for a breakout game in Week 2. Sirianni knows what the Philly fans were thinking and saying in their living rooms. He’ll get Smith more touches. He has to.
“A.J. had this huge game, and DeVonta didn’t touch the ball at all. [Eagles fans were saying] ‘Oh my goodness, they’re never going to use DeVonta Smith again.’ I can promise you that’s not the case,” Sirianni said. “Him, A.J. and Dallas are who the offense will run through, who the pass offense will run through, and it just was the perfect storm where he didn’t get any touches, and that’s my job to make sure that he gets the touches. We’ll fix that.”