Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni often talks about how much trust this team has for each other, but he’s always sure to point out that it’s not blind trust, it’s what has been earned through months of overcoming adversity and learning from each other. That’s why he trusts his offense in questionable fourth down situations. It’s why he trusts his defense enough to punt the ball away giving an opponent a short field. And, it’s why Saquon Barkley ran for 205 yards in the snow because he trusted the equipment manager’s advice on his cleats.
During the week leading up to Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff game, Barkley was asked how he was planning for the snow with regards to his cleats. He admitted that he hadn’t reached out to LeSean McCoy yet, but noted that Eagles’ Vice President of Equipment Operations Greg Delimitros was with the team when Shady had his big snow game, so he planned to talk to him.
“I will make sure that I listen to [Greg Delimitros] and Coach [Jemal] Singleton because I was stubborn in [Brazil], and the first three plays I slipped and fell on my head. So, whatever they advise… I’m definitely going to be taking their advice there.”
Barkley did just that. After the Eagles beat the Rams on Sunday, the running back said that playing in the snow actually wasn’t as bad as he expected, but he did go with a different cleat to start the game as advised.
It obviously worked. Despite the conditions that had everyone slipping and sliding, and struggling to get out of breaks, Barkley had an incredibly memorable performance void of any issues due to his footwear — including two TD runs of over 62 yards, one of which was a 78-yard dash on a white-covered field.
This Eagles team is a group of people who aren’t afraid to drop their ego and trust someone else’s experience and expertise in order to win. That earned trust among everyone, from players to coaches to staff, is what makes this team special, and what could eventually win the NFC and earn them a spot in the Super Bowl.
“Humble, hungry, and detailed,” has been Sirianni’s message to his team this season, and they have truly bought all the way in.
