Evaluating Nick Sirianni’s Success Following the Bye Week

The subjective measurement of an NFL head coach’s isolated impact includes different factors. The winningest coach in Philadelphia Eagles history mastered one of them.

Andy Reid led the Eagles to a 13-1 record after the bye week. His only loss came in the dismal 2012 season with his team uncharacteristically reeling toward a 4-12 record. Reid has continued the success with the Kansas City Chiefs, who own a 9-3 record after the bye during his tenure.

The future Hall of Famer has built a reputation for utilizing the reset to make adjustments on offense and help his team focus more clearly on the goals for the remainder of the season.

How does Nick Sirianni compare to one of the best coaches in NFL history at utilizing the bye week?

The Eagles are 4-0 under Nick Sirianni in their first game following the bye week. The polarizing head coach's most obvious success story came in 2024 when the offense famously pivoted its approach during the Week 5 bye.

First-year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore hadn’t found his rhythm for the 2-2 Eagles. Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, and Landon Dickerson had their own ideas about the shaky start.

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The three stout offensive linemen approached Sirianni – the team's final offensive decision-maker – about focusing his game plans on the rushing attack with the advantage of Saquon Barkley in the backfield and the speed of Jalen Hurts to keep defenses off balance.

The rest is history, as the Eagles won 10 in a row out of the bye and stampeded to a victory in Super Bowl LIV. Sirianni’s willingness to push any ego aside and simplify the offense was the defining decision of his Eagles career.

He similarly shifted the offense’s focus to the running game midseason as a rookie head coach in 2021. The Eagles didn’t rest for the bye until Week 14 that season, but they executed well immediately afterwards in three straight wins to clinch a wild card berth.

The perfect 4-0 record speaks volumes, like most of the team’s results during Sirianni’s tenure. The embattled sideline boss did, however, oversee turns in questionable directions in 2022 and 2023.

The Eagles rode high into the bye week in 2022 with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys to improve to 6-0. They stayed undefeated with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8 while fans celebrated arguably the greatest month in Philadelphia sports history.

However, they quickly hit their worst lull of the season immediately afterwards. The Eagles sandwiched two unimpressive wins against weak opponents around an ugly home loss to the Washington Commanders in Weeks 9-11. 

The 2023 Eagles similarly won their first two games out of the bye week. However, narrow, unconvincing (and somewhat lucky) escapes to improve to 10-1 only heightened the question marks that defined the season. Sirianni left the Eagles unprepared without the type of continuity needed to face the hurricane of the schedule. He later made a costly coaching decision to promote Matt Patricia, and the season spiraled out of control.

Sirianni hasn’t called plays since the first half of 2021, and his revolving door of coordinators has produced a mixed bag of results. First-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo struggled in the early weeks of 2025 to call plays that maximized a talented unit.

The head coach ultimately influences the direction of the offense with higher impact, however. Sirianni's "CEO" role with expected strengths managing the culture includes coaching his coaches.

His predecessor Doug Pederson struggled to develop his assistant coaching staff in the seasons following Super Bowl LII in what was ultimately a major factor in his downfall in Philadelphia.

The Eagles followed their Week 10 bye in 2017 with a win. However, they spiraled into multigame losing streaks immediately following the bye week in their only other four seasons under Pederson.

The 2025 Eagles recovered from an ugly Week 6 loss at the Meadowlands with two wins to reach the bye at 6-2. Hurts and the offense flashed a Super Bowl-caliber passing attack, and Barkley finally found his stride on the ground.

Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens haven’t anchored the offensive line as effectively this season, but extra rest could help them regain rhythm after early-season injuries. Drama surrounding A.J. Brown has apparently fizzled (at least for now).

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The Eagles didn't meet their highest offensive potential early this season. However, the puzzle pieces have fallen into place just in time for tough tests against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, two NFC contenders, immediately following the bye.

Sirianni’s pivot after the bye week in 2024 steered the Eagles in a Super Bowl direction. It demonstrated coaching strengths in his willingness to trust his players and avoid overcomplicating an offense that's at its best when depending on talent.

Despite the success last season, the most passionate fan base in professional sports will inevitably question the value Sirianni brings to the offensive system in 2025.

Can Nick Sirianni use the bye week effectively to reset under the pressure of Super Bowl expectations after an imperfect first half?