More Than A Word

I don’t remember the first time I heard the word culture in regard to a sports team. I feel like it is a recent development, at least for it to be so common. And boy is it common. Every team in every sport will talk about culture.

Nick Sirianni takes culture very seriously. He puts actions behind his words. Sirianni will never be mistaken for Bill Walsh as an offensive genius, but Sirianni does understand how to get his football team to buy into to core principles and come together as one. Do not understimate how important that ability is, especially in the modern NFL.

Kendall Lamm on the differences between the Miami Dolphins and the Philadelphia Eagles:

“I understand why the Eagles reached two Super Bowls in three years: players are never late, never toxic, and after every practice, the room spends 15 minutes sharing personal struggles to… pic.twitter.com/sHoPNDwHNH

— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) June 22, 2025

The Dolphins are an interesting contrast to the Eagles. Miami coach Mike McDaniel is one of the best play designers in the league. When his offense is clicking, it can do special things. Remember them scoing 70 points on the Broncos? McDaniel is a young coach who tries to bond with his players and develop tight relationships with them. That all sounds great, but can McDaniel be tough and truly hold people accountable? It sure doesn’t sound like it.

I appreciate Mike McDaniel’s honesty in talking about fines not working on players for being late, etc, but bigger question is why is this happening 3 years into his time as head coach? That’s a level of disrespect from players that’s tough to understand.

( @MiamiDolphins) pic.twitter.com/SMMAQdxv9V

— Will Manso (@WillManso) January 7, 2025

Being a brother or the fun uncle is different from being a tough dad. McDaniel hasn’t gotten to that point yet.

Sirianni has a tight bond with a lot of his players, but he can be tough on them. He’s able to hold his players accountable, on and off the field. Sirianni’s quote is “Culture is your habits.” That sounds simple, but is so true. Do players show up on time? Do they workout the way they are supposed to? Do they pay attention in meetings? Do the players connect with one another in a genuine way?

Football games last for three hours. That leaves 165 hours in the rest of the week. That time is wasted if the team isn’t doing the right things to be ready for Sunday. Eagles players know Sirianni’s mantra. Tough. Detailed. Together. He beats that into their heads and the players buy into those words. They bring them to life.

Some might argue Sirianni has the most talent so culture is overrated. I would disagree with that. Culture is what helps the players to accomplish what they are capable of. Miami is a talented team, but they have had culture issues for a while. The Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since 2000. Not a single game. The Eagles won four playoff games last year. That’s mind-blowing when you think about some of the talent that has been in Miami.

Culture matters.

Sirianni is lucky that the Eagles have generally had good culture for a while. Andy Reid laid that foundation when he was hired in 1999. Reid did things the right way and brought in the right kind of people. Things went a bit astray during Chip Kelly’s tenure, but got back on track when Doug Pederson took over. Sirianni has taken things to the next level.

I think Sirianni being the son of a coach had a huge impact on his ideas on how to run a team. Then he went to Mount Union to play college football and was heavily influenced by Larry Kehres. Sirianni worked under Frank Reich in the NFL. Those three coaches were the men who taught Sirianni that coaching is more than calling plays. How you run the team will decide a lot more games than if you use more motion in your offense.

Sirianni’s culture is part of what makes the 2025 Eagles so fascinating. You have a team coming off winning a Super Bowl. They know what it takes to get the job done, but they also have a target on them. Every opponent will see the Eagles as a special game. The team has to be focused to handle that kind of challenge. Sirianni has already told his players to put the celebration behind them. Don’t look behind you. Don’t look ahead.

Focus on today.

The Eagles have a strong coaching staff and a great roster. If Sirianni can get the culture right again this season, this team could very well go out and win another Super Bowl.

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