Jul 29, 2021; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni talks with tight end Zach Ertz (86) during training camp at NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Where would Nick Sirianni be without his babysitter, Big Dom?
Everyone watched the Eagles blow two 14-point leads and lose to the Washington Commanders 36-33 on Sunday. Most fans, like those in my house, probably flipped to Red Zone in disgust - or to track their fantasy players in their semifinal matchups - as the clock struck zero, meaning they probably didn't see the little verbal dustup between Sirianni and former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, who now catches passes for the Commies.
If you are an all-consuming news sort though, you probably saw later that there was a verbal exchange between the two, and that they were asked about it afterward, and neither had much to say other than they were exchanging pleasantries.
Turns out, those pleasantries weren't asking about holiday plans.
Our camera caught part of this interaction (apologies for the blurriness).
It looks like Ertz goes in for the handshake/high five with Sirianni. Then Sirianni turns his head and says something to Ertz after he walks by. That fired the #Commanders tight end up @wusa9 https://t.co/z9nL8OVYUW pic.twitter.com/2JSDiC8iUL
— John Doran (@JohnDoranTV) December 26, 2024
According to a report from Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer on his Uncovering the Birds podcast, the exchange was a bit more fiery.
From the podcast:
Ertz went to shake Sirianni's hand and could tell the coach was agitated, so instead gave him a high five. Sirianni didn't like the intensity of Ertz's hand slap and mocked him because he only had one catch and told him he essentially did nothing to contribute to the Commander's win. Ertz took exception and got in Sirianni's face, but the coach's escort, as always, Dom DiSandro, jumped in and held Ertz back and ushered a defeated Sirianni to the tunnel. Sirianni later called Ertz and apologized over a Zoom conference call, sources said. ...
For all the Eagles' sloppiness, they almost beat Washington without (Jalen) Hurts, so the loss felt much more like the defeat in Dallas two Decembers ago than anything related to last season's collapse or earlier this season when the Eagles were still searching for their identity. But there were reminders of the lack of discipline they have showed at their lowest point under Sirianni, and his unnecessary interaction with Ertz was just another example of the coach becoming unhinged. Some of his players behaved similarly during the game.
They have, at times, taken on his personality. There's good emotion, and then there's bad. Which will the Eagles show when their backs are up against it in the postseason? To be determined.
Nick Sirianni and Zach Ertz got into an altercation after last Sunday’s game, which led to Big Dom having to separate them, per @PhillyInquirer.
Basically, Sirianni told Ertz his one catch in the game didn’t contribute to Washington’s win.
Sirianni later apologized to Ertz. pic.twitter.com/Htl94q4noU
It's still befuddling that a head coach in the NFL - or any major sport for that matter - can't control his emotions well enough on the field to result in these blowups consistently. It's not just bad optics. It opens the door for more of the same from the players. After all, if the coach can do it...
The reason this is a big deal some four days after the heated exchange occurred is because the Eagles are arguably the most complete team in the NFL. As such, they should be a favorite to win the Super Bowl. Things happen in games that result in unexpected outcomes. That's the beauty of sports. It's why major upsets happen all the time.
And teams that are upset by another are often left to search for answers as to why their best opportunities for success got away from them. If it's mistakes because of mistakes borne out of effort, it's one thing. You're still pissed off about it, but you know it was the result of trying - perhaps trying to do too much - but at least the effort was there.
But there are other times - and they are fewer and more far between - where the failure was borne from stupidity. And those are the worst kinds of failures. Those are the ones that come from usually controlled emotions not being controlled. Those are the ones that are completely unacceptable.
If the Eagles don't win the Super Bowl, and it's the first scenario, where they lost a game along the way to physical errors, the city will be disappointed, but still supportive. But if it's a loss rooted in a complete lack of discipline, and everything the team worked for all season to have one of the best records in the sport is wasted because of that, it falls at the feet of one person - the one leading by example and allowing that kind of thing to take place.
And that's not even something Big Dom can prevent from happening.
