Eagles’ Nick Sirianni Explains Fiery Exchange With Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles come across as having a brashness quality. That starts with their head coach Nick Sirianni.

Sirianni only added to that reputation in Week 4. FOX Sports’ Tom Rinaldi reported during Sunday’s game Sirianni directed trash talk in the direction of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield most of the afternoon.

“We talk so often guys about how players love to play for Nick Sirianni and his sense of emotion,” Rinaldi said. “Look at this, this is him jawing with Baker Mayfield after that last sense … But he continued to jaw him as he’s been doing all up and down this sideline all game.”

But after defeating the Buccaneers 31-25, Sirianni told reporters that his trash-talking of Mayfield stemmed from tremendous respect, not disdain.

“Baker and I go back to when we practiced against him when we were at Indy, and he was at Cleveland,” Sirianni told reporters. “His quarterbacks coach, Ryan Linley, who was there then as his quarterbacks coach, played for me when I was a quarterbacks coach. So I got to know Baker.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I think he’s a really competitive dude.

“Just talking a little bit back and forth right there because we know each other and like I said to him, besides our guys, one of my favorite guys to watch in the NFL. I said that to him after the game because I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

Eagles Contain Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers Offense

Mayfield delivered two 70-plus yard touchdowns in the third quarter. That greatly bolstered his Week 4 statistics.

But the Eagles mostly contained Mayfield and the Buccaneers offense. Both of Mayfield’s touchdowns came with Philadelphia leading by at least three scores.

In the first half, the Tampa Bay quarterback completed only 12 of 21 passes for 65 yards.

It’s unlikely Sirianni’s trash-talking had any impact on Mayfield. The Buccaneers signal-caller is known for taking and delivering plenty of his own brash words over the years.

But outside of two touchdowns, the Eagles defense held the Mayfield to only 140 passing yards. Philadelphia also forced two turnovers, including a Mayfield interception.

Nick Sirianni, Eagles Start 4-0 Again

With the victory against the Buccaneers, the Eagles improved to 4-0 this season. It’s the third time Philadelphia has begun a campaign 4-0 in five years under Sirianni.

According to NBC Philadelphia’s Joe Clark, the only other two coaches to achieve three 4-0 starts in their first five seasons are Paul Brown and George Halas.

“Training camp, I think our guys, we’ve just got guys that work their butts off. We stress it. We talk about it,” Sirianni said after Sunday’s game. “We’ve got a lot to clean up. But to be 4-0, that’s good.

“What we talked about is don’t let good get in the way of great.”

Incredibly, the Eagles have won their first four games this season despite opponents outgaining them in every contest.

The only other team in NFL history to start 4-0 and not have more yards than an opponent in all four games was the 2012 Arizona Cardinals.

On Sunday, the Buccaneers outgained the Eagles 376-200.

The Eagles will return home to face the Denver Broncos in Week 5. Kickoff will occur on October 5 at 1 pm ET.

Packers’ Late-Game Collapse Raises Super Bowl Questions: Is LaFleur to Blame?

Packers’ Bizarre Tie Raises Serious Questions About Their Super Bowl Hopes

Green Bay Packers’ performance in their 40-40 tie against the Dallas Cowboys left fans and experts alike scratching their heads. What should have been a chance to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Cleveland Browns turned into another head-scratcher for the Packers.

The game ended with the Packers taking a conservative approach in overtime, choosing to run out the clock rather than aggressively drive for the win. With just one second left on the clock, Jordan Love’s final pass was incomplete, saving Green Bay from a second consecutive loss but leaving them with more questions than answers.

Many experts have raised concerns about head coach Matt LaFleur's decisions, particularly his reluctance to trust Love in a critical moment. LaFleur’s play-calling at the end of the game, focused on draining the clock, was met with widespread criticism. As NFL analyst Benjamin Solak put it, “Playing for the tie is poor. They should have gone for the win.”

Former Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert did not hold back, saying, “Handcuffing your $55 million QB in overtime was a choice. Especially after he’s gotten you 37 points.” It was clear that many felt Love had proven himself capable of taking charge, but LaFleur’s conservative tactics hindered his chances.

On the defensive side, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s unit showed cracks. After being one of the league’s top-ranked defenses, they struggled against Dallas, allowing critical plays and failing to close out the game. Their inability to get the job done when it mattered most has raised doubts about whether the Packers have the defense to compete in the playoffs.

Despite Love’s strong individual performance, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, the Packers’ inability to seal the win has caused widespread concern. With a tie on the record, it feels like a missed opportunity for Green Bay to assert themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. As they look ahead, LaFleur and his team will need to address these critical issues if they want to keep their championship hopes alive.