Eagles

Vic Fangio Says that Nick Sirianni Did Not Call a Defensive Play in Browns Win

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Oct 16th, 2024 · 3:14 PM EDT

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At Nick Sirianni’s postgame presser on Sunday afternoon, the one with his kids, he told reporters that he made a defensive call during the win:

Q. On the final sequence before halftime:

NICK SIRIANNI: I’ll never try to give a competitive advantage to anybody else.

I’ll say this: I made the call on third and one. Nobody else but me. You know, like I said to you, I did that on defense one time as well.

I made a call on defense. It didn’t work out just so you know. I’ll put that out there. That wasn’t on Vic. I won’t tell you which play. I’m going to do that from time to time. This time it didn’t work. That’s on nobody else but me.

The coordinators do their press conferences later in the week, and of course Fangio was asked about it.

He clarified that Sirianni didn’t call a play, but gave more of a suggestion:

Head Coach Nick Sirianni said after the game that he made a defensive play call. First of all, what was that call, and are you okay with that? (Jimmy Kempski)

VIC FANGIO: It wasn’t a defensive call. It was just a situational thing where he just said, ‘Hey, be alert for this.’ He didn’t call a defense.

What was the situation then that he –(Jimmy Kempski)

VIC FANGIO: It was just when they had the ball near midfield, and it was 3rd-and-long. He said, ‘Hey, be alert that they may check it down’ or something. ‘They are trying to get in field goal range.’

How is Nick Sirianni’s level of involvement in what you’re doing on game day compare to other head coaches you’ve worked for? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: It’s pretty similar.

He said that he made the wrong suggestion, I guess, on that play. What happened on that 3^rd-and-long? (Jimmy Kempski)

VIC FANGIO: They ended up getting more than I would have liked to see them get. But it was inconsequential what he said.

It seemed like a big of a head scratcher at the time, because Fangio is up in the booth and calling the defensive plays. You rarely hear of head coaches jumping in with a certain coverage or blitz decision and overruling the DC.

Fangio didn’t specify which play he was talking about, but going through the log, there was a 3rd and 14 from the Eagles’ 44 yard line with 4:58 remaining in the second quarter. The Eagles blitzed and Deshaun Watson was able to hit David Njoku for 10 yards. On 4th and 4, instead of kicking from 51 yards out, they decided to go and converted, this time hitting Njoku for 14 yards and ultimately settling for a field goal when the Eagles held at the edge of the red zone. That has to be the play and sequence he’s talking about, because I don’t see any other third and longs that took place near the middle of the field.

The real question is why Sirianni would say he called a defensive play when he actually did not. That press conference was all over the place, and guessing, he probably just wants to take as many bullets as possible, fall on the sword, deflect, whatever term you want to use. He’s putting everything on himself and absorbing the criticism, and maybe misspeaking in the process. At least I hope that’s the case because if he’s dabbling on both sides of the ball, then it seems like a problem.