By Lindsay Jones, The Ringer
Pro Football Writers of America
TEMPE – Veteran defensive tackle Fletcher Cox broke down the Eagles’ final post-practice huddle of Super Bowl week Friday afternoon, and head coach Nick Sirianni sent his team off the field with a similar message to what he’s echoed to his players all season.
“Our message and our identity all year has been to play fast, physical and for each other,” Siranni said after the hour-long session. “We’re going to keep talking about that.”
Friday’s practice was lighter in physical intensity than Thursday’s practice, but required players to focus on red zone situations – just the way Sirianni has structured Friday practices all season. Players seemed loose and in good spirits, with plenty of singing and dancing and laughs, particularly toward the end of practice.
Now Sirianni is asking his players to maintain focus through the weekend as they rest their bodies ahead of Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.
His team is healthy: the only player who will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game is receiver Britain Covey (hamstring). The following players were listed on the final injury report as full participants in Friday’s practice: G Landon Dickerson (elbow), RT Lane Johnson (groin), C Cam Jurgens (hip), CB Avonte Maddox (toe) and DE Robert Quinn (foot).
Sirianni had his team leave the field and head inside late in Friday’s practice to simulate the Super Bowl’s long halftime break. The team returned after seven minutes – shorter than the break they’ll have on Sunday while Rihanna performs – but Sirianni wanted his team to go through the motions of stretching and getting ready to play again. Players went through one final low intensity session after that break before the final huddle, capped by Cox’s breakdown.
The Eagles will hold a short walk-through session on Saturday, and players and coaches will have time to spend with their families. That goes for Sirianni, too, whose wife and three children have arrived in Arizona along with a large group of extended family.
“I go home at 4 o’clock on a Friday and hang with them. And I’ll hang with them on Saturday, because that’s my normal routine,” Sirianni said.
