Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was clearly heated towards the end of the Eagles 26-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, as cameras caught his angry reaction to some after the whistle festivities.
Eagles center Jason Kelce finished a block on Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa in the closing minutes, and Odighizuwa tackled Kelce after the whistle, drawing both teams together and sending Sirianni into a tirade.
Salty Dallas defender Osa Odighizuwa wishes his team was 6-0 and tackles national treasure Jason Kelce after the play #FlyEaglesFly
It didn’t take a master lip reader to figure out the tail end of what Sirianni was yelling at the Cowboys sideline, and it probably matched what Eagles fans were yelling at their televisions around the Delaware Valley. “F*** you!” Sirianni shouted while pointing.
“That’s game! Fuck you!” -Nick Sirianni is perfect for Philly @BarstoolPhilly t.co/2cbUyX65OO
But Sirianni wasn’t finished. Heading down the tunnel towards the Eagles locker room at Lincoln Financial Field, Sirianni waited until he was approaching a camera, then twice shouted, “How ’bout them Eagles?”
Sirianni was throwing the Cowboys traditional victory phrase back at them, as former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson famously yelled, “How ’bout them Cowboys?” after their 1992 NFC Championship win over the San Francisco 49ers.
The phrase is such an important part of Cowboys traditions and lore that ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote this year that, “The phrase has defined the Cowboys ever since, becoming a large part of NFL history.”
Obviously Sirianni knew exactly what he was doing, and it’s likely that Odighizuwa’s cheap shot in the closing seconds was a key motivating factor in mocking the Cowboys tradition after beating them to keep control of the NFC East at 6-0.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Downplays Hand Injury After Snagging Two Interceptions
Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had two interceptions of Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush in the win, the second coming after leaving the game with a hand injury. During a post-game press conference on October 16, Gardner-Johnson refused to talk in detail about the injury.
“Soldier mentality,” Gardner-Johnson said at one point. Later he answered another question about the injury by smiling and saying, “I play football.”
Those answers are likely to resonate in Philadelphia, and so will plays like the former Saints cornerback made on the field. Gardner-Johnson now has three interceptions in his last two games, and has been making general manager Howie Roseman’s decision to trade for the defensive back on the eve of the 2022 season look brilliant.
Eagles Turn to Ground Attack With Game in Balance
After opening up a 20-0 first half lead, the Eagles found themselves under intense pressure in the fourth quarter, with the Cowboys having clawed back to within a field goal at 20-17.
With 14:39 left, the Eagles needed points and a momentum swing, and they trusted their ground game to get it done. The Eagles ran on 10 of 11 plays, with the lone exception being an improvised toss from Hurts to Sanders on a rushed snap with the play clock winding down. It was ruled a forward pass for a one-yard gain.
But those 11 plays totaled 46 yards as the Eagles marched to the Cowboys’ 29-yardline. From there, Jalen Hurts put the ball in the air, hitting A.J. Brown for 22 yards and then DeVonta Smith for a 7-yard touchdown strike to seal the game.
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Eagles Coach Mocks Cowboys Tradition After Fiery Victory