PHILADELPHIA — Nick Sirianni is a better head coach than John Harbaugh, Matt LaFleur and Kevin Stefanski, three of the hottest coaching names around. Never mind that LaFleur still has a job in Green Bay. Speculation about his future has run rampant. Sirianni has taken the Eagles to the playoffs in all five years he’s been here, including a pair of Super Bowls. He brought home the Lombardi Trophy just 11 months ago. Three years ago, only a referee’s late no-call and a Jalen Hurts fumble stood between Sirianni and another Lombardi for the city. What has Kevin Stefanski done? John Harbaugh was a stable, consistent winner in Baltimore for 18 years. Great coach. Future Hall of Famer. But in all that time, he went to one Super Bowl and has that one ring. The Eagles underachieved this year with a loaded roster. Couldn’t the same be said about Harbaugh? With Lamar Jackson at quarterback, an elite running back in Derrick Henry and talent all over the field, most people expected the Ravens to at least reach the AFC title game when the season began. They finished 8-9. LaFleur, who is talented and shouldn’t have been on the hot seat, comes from the innovative offensive coaching group that involves Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. And as leader of the Packers, LaFleur has reached the postseason in six of his seven years. But he’s 3-6 in the playoffs. As for Stefanski, who was a longtime Minnesota Vikings assistant before taking over in Cleveland, he ended the Browns 17-year playoff drought in 2020, his first year at the helm. But in six years there, he had two winning seasons. Also, he jettisoned QB Baker Mayfield, who eventually found success in Tampa Bay. In fact, Stefanski didn’t develop any quarterbacks in Cleveland. Nada. In other words, what’s with all the Philly-area chatter calling for Sirianni’s? This is a passionate sports town, certainly, and it’s natural to spout off after such a demoralizing end to the season, a 23-19 home loss to a depleted 49ers team in the first round of the playoffs. But this is also supposed to be a knowledgeable sports town, with a critical yet smart media and fan base. There needs to be accountability for what happened Sunday, but that doesn’t mean people should lose their minds. This was a painful, lost season for the Eagles. They wasted a championship-level defense and a rich offensive roster. Despite some clear defensive blunders against the 49ers, the Birds needed to do better than putting up 19 points against San Francisco’s injury-riddled D. Sirianni never got the offense right this season, even when there were signs of trouble as early as September. Sirianni is undone by his animated sideline persona, as if that’s “just not how a head coach should act.” Who says? He’s just being himself. And he usually wins. This is the same town that couldn’t stand Andy Reid’s stoic, “hrumph, hrumph” demeanor, his lack of outward fire. Sirianni is a serious guy. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t command the respect he does within the building. His players love him. This city should love him, too. His passion, his grit — and his winning — are all things Philadelphia should embrace. When it comes to offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, a super-nice guy whom many players and former players defend as an excellent coach, it’s a different story. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who himself failed to execute in crunch time against San Francisco by throwing into triple coverage, declined to endorse him during locker-cleanout day Monday when directly asked if Patullo should be back as OC next season. “It’s too soon to think about that. I put my trust in Howie. Howie, Nick and Mr. Lurie,” he said, referencing general manager Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie. No one who is tuned in to the Eagles is saying Patullo doesn’t have value in the organization or a positive future in the league. He has proven that he does. But perhaps a team coming off a Super Bowl championship, with the highest offensive payroll in the NFL, shouldn’t have turned over the play-calling reins to a guy who had never called plays. ...read more read less