Legendary coach addresses challenges Nick Sirianni faces with Eagles

Ahead of this coming Sunday's game between the 2-6 Jacksonville Jaguars and 5-2 Philadelphia Eagles, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson offered some advice for Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni from Pederson's experiences with the Eagles. 

Similar to Sirianni, legendary coach Dick Vermeil guided the Eagles to a Super Bowl game that Philadelphia ultimately lost. Thus, Vermeil knows somewhat about the pressure Sirianni is facing this fall. 

"Having coached in four major cities in the NFL...Philadelphia is as passionate or more passionate than any of the cities and a little more intense," Vermeil recently told Tim McManus of ESPN. "And I think the Philadelphia fan takes it a little more personal. Once you get established in Philadelphia, you become part of their family. They get mad at you just like they get mad at their own kids. They love you, and they're going to spank you."

Vermeil held the Philadelphia gig from 1976 until he became "emotionally burned out" in January 1983. In January 1981, Vermeil's Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV. 

Meanwhile, Sirianni's Eagles fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII before Philadelphia suffered a brutal and epic collapse last season. More recently, Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts came together to get the Eagles out of a funk after they entered their Week 5 bye at 2-2. Philadelphia then enjoyed a three-game winning streak heading into the matchup versus Jacksonville. 

Sirianni generated headlines when he chirped at some fans late in Philadelphia's Week 6 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Vermeil seems to understand how an Eagles head coach might need such a release during an emotionally exhausting season. 

"Well I think Nick goes through in this city a little more intensely what most NFL coaches go through: they love you when you win and they don't like you when you lose," Vermeil added about Sirianni's tenure with the Eagles. "And I think Nick, like all of us, including Dick Vermeil, have made mistakes from time to time in what he said or what he did and it gets evaluated either very positively or very negatively. Sometimes it misleads the true value of the good you are doing. Whenever you have a winning record in the NFL believe me, you're doing a good job."

Sirianni likely realizes he'll need to lead the Eagles to much more than a win over the Jaguars to keep his job through the upcoming offseason. How he handles that pressure could ultimately determine whether or not his team meets the expectations many had for it roughly 12 months ago.