Postgame Press Conference: Nick Sirianni | Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles

hey Nick how does uh Jan fit into this offense and what kind of work did you do on him pre-draft a couple years ago uh yeah um really liked him a couple years ago coming out um looking forward to working with him um I think he helps helps our team and puts uh gives us an addition to a already deep room and excited to work with him uh um but yeah we're just really really excited that we were able to make our team better uh when it comes to the game today Nick what how do you sort of handle this what do you what do you take out of it third preseason game's always a little bit difficult yeah you know you you what I felt like is we didn't really play to our our detail that was that's that uh is our standard here so it's a good example um that if you if you don't play with good fundamentals we miss some tackles we uh you know we fumbled the football we we didn't take the football away uh we had a take away that had a penalty we had some penalties um we'd had some drops in some critical areas that would have led to points and all the and all those things led to points and so that's what you you hope that doesn't happen but that that happened today and so it's just a good example if you you can have um all the talent in the world have all the the best plays in the world but if you don't play with good fundamentals I don't care what level you are um it's it's going to affect if you win or lose the football game and so that was the message of you know to these guys of hey you know if you don't play you know just like I just said but also the message after the game also was um that's the last time that those 91 guys will be together we're going to have to make some some tough decisions and but it was a good camp it was a it was a camp that we you know guys worked their butts off we got better um and it took all 91 guys to get better not just the guys the 53 that are going to make this team it took all of us but that is the last time that that those 91 guys will be you know Philadelphia Eagles together you been you've been at different versions of this over the past SE weeks but now that it's official that the offensive ones did not get a game snap during the preseason uh what what what led to that decision yeah uh again you you always take everything into account of how many reps you got you know um I'd say this week we had two you know we didn't have a joint practice this week but um we had two joint practices two inter Squad practices uh that were scrimmages um and again everything up front is live the only thing that's not live is is the tackling to the ground so the receivers are are live except for they're not getting tackled it's it's every everything is completely live um and so we felt like the work that we got in the in the in the joint practice versus the Patriots the inner Squad that we had at the stadium um prior to our first preseason games and then the two uh inner squads uh scrimmages that we had um you know were were was our was our work for the ones and that's why we decided that way um to go that way um and I get it that's that's everybody's job is to say what if they would should they have played should they not have played you know what I have to make the decision and I and I get that I understand that I have to make the decision that I feel is best for our team and if our team and if I feel our team is ready and I felt that I felt that we were getting a lot of good back and forth um again hard practices out there for you know for two hours um you know which has been more than what we've been in and so I felt like we got enough work to to be ready to go and I'm comfortable where we are leading into this week uh into this upcoming I guess couple days before we get into the um you know game week mode but I'm comfortable where we are and looking forward to some more good practices how important was it to get to get Cooper de Jean in into the game you know be able to play as much as he did and how do how do you think he did yeah you know obviously I would you always got to go back and look at the tape and see exactly it's hard to take make assessment of how somebody played based off tape you can always have an idea of some of the splash plays that they've made uh and you know I saw him make a couple really good plays I thought he looked fast uh and physical out there um made a couple tackles that I thought were really good made a made a had a penalty that we're going to want back that negated a um an interception in the first drive so um but it was good to get him out there and playing meaningful snaps uh see me you know seeing that he hadn't you know played this this preseason and and so I guess that goes into the question you asked too like are these guys why and these guys play well I thought that they had you know enough snaps through all the things that we did Cooper did not that's why he played so everything's taken into account uh on that on that part but I thought again I thought there were some good things there's going to be some things to clean up uh and uh but it was good to have him out there because he's talented and um and we're excited about his his potential learning a new position why didn't he play for them yeah everybody uh everybody had different reasons for why they why they didn't play um you know with with James again same deal you know we felt like he was in a a position where we were comfortable and that's why that's why he didn't play Notions you had with were how do you see his future with the team Bradberry yeah you know obviously we uh we we like James had some really good uh moments here and and had some really good uh has been a great teammate made some great plays here um and so yeah I'm excited that he's here and uh you know has the versatility that he has Notions you had about the linebacking room before this week when Orin came back and before this game when he played how much do you think he's going to make you guys think about this decision and what have you liked about him over last week yeah um it's a deep it's a deep room um I'm really um I think that's been a fun room to kind of watch play out of you know uh comp uh competition uh because I think there's been there's there's guys at the top there's guys in the middle there's guys that you think would be at the back end they've all really competed well um and so you know we got some tough decisions to make uh and this is never never a fun time here at this at this particular time um but you but you've been preparing for it right the entire time everything's everything's evaluated so that's a deep room and uh naturally you can't keep keep all the guys and you keep the guys that you can because you know I know and I know all those guys can help us win football games today couple more today more motions offensively um to this point even without playing the starters and maybe didn't want to tip your hand but how have you noticed uh the advantages of being able to dictate what you want to do offensively going forward say that I'm sorry like with motions being able to dictate what you want to do with the defense how have you seen the advantages yeah um yeah again we we're doing different things to you know to hide plays we do different things to get information um there's there's multiple reasons why you would why you would motion why why you wouldn't motion also um and so you know without tipping the hand that's that's why you do it right you do it so you can get some information sometimes you do it just to hide some stuff uh and that's the way those things go what the nias Nick he expressed to me and some other reporters in Baltimore he was a little bit disappointed really seemed to come on uh last couple weeks and in this particular game what have you seen from annias Smith and sort of that that turn yeah you know obviously it's a it's a you know there's steps to when you get into the NFL it's a different it's a different game and so um you know sometimes people start fast and sometimes you know it takes it's a little bit of time and so um nias uh has done some really good things he's had some things he he has to learn from um but you know he's growing like the rest of the guys uh because he's working his butt off and so um he made some nice plays today and that were good but you know like like everybody we we all got work to do to get continue to get better not having the by not having the ones in pre-season G are you concerned about team getting off to maybe a slow start or not or lacking the Rhythm you know in that first no no I kind of the same thing I just answered him why why I didn't play him as it means I'm ready I'm if I if I was worried that we weren't going to get good start at playing but because of all the work we have uh I'm not worried about that we got to go out there and play and execute now but no I'm comfortable where we are in terms of Johan dson you know you added him now was like four through rest are going to be open there in terms of details what's going to be you think the deciding factor in terms of making who makes roster at that position watch yeah um obviously the we got a lot of a lot of different a lot tape to reat that we've watched that we we have to rewatch um and again deep room it's a deep room and Jan just adds to that the the depth of that room and so um just like the linebacker position just like the receiver position we got a lot of tough decisions to make and you'd rather have tough decisions to make that means you're you have good depth right that you're comfortable like oh man I'd be really excited if this guy's on the team or really excited if this guy's on the team um and that's what that's you know that's where hoe and his staff have done such a good job of getting the talent here so we have these conversations of you know all right who's number 53 52 51 50 49 like who's the who is it between for the five- six receivers or the four and five uh linebackers so again makes it for hard decisions but uh you know that's only helping your team when you're having those type of of discussions all right thanks folks