Nick Sirianni’s post-bye buzz cut did not save the Eagles season. At least that’s what the coach says.
The Birds went 16-1, including the playoffs, after ‘Baldianni’ shocked fans with his new hairstyle.
Nick Sirianni wants to make it known — he did not shave his head after the bye week.
“I buzzed my head,” Sirianni joked on Monday after the Super Bowl LIX win. “There’s a big difference.”
Unlike many athletes and coaches, Sirianni is not superstitious, so he didn’t think twice about the haircut which may or may not have sparked the Eagles’ Super Bowl run.
“I literally had no time to get a haircut on the Friday, so I buzzed it,” Sirianni said.
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But fans quickly latched onto “Baldianni” as the Birds, who were 2-2 before the cut, ripped off a franchise-record 10-game win streak. After the Super Bowl win, the Eagles played along.
Sirianni said that despite the success, he’s not likely to buzz his head again.
“My wife didn’t like the buzzed head either, so I’m probably not going to do that,” Sirianni said.
In the first four games of the year, the Eagles allowed an average of 24 points per game. They entered their Week 5 bye coming off a 33-16 drubbing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After the bye (and Sirianni’s haircut), the Eagles defense conceded an average of 16.7 points per game, developing into one of the league’s top units. The Birds also started to lean more on the run game, allowing Saquon Barkley to set an NFL record for most rushing yards in a season (regular season and playoffs) with 2,504 yards.
» READ MORE: Nick Sirianni is at the doorstep of an Eagles dynasty with Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts and a dominant young defense
Thanks to all that, and the Birds’ strong habits and preparation, Sirianni is confident that his longer hair isn’t going to prevent them from going back-to-back.
“That has nothing to do with it,” Sirianni said. “It’s your habits. Every day, our team had great habits that prepared us to win each and every week, with the way they practice, with the way they met, with the way they walked through, with the way they connected all those things.
“I am the last person that’s superstitious because I believe it’s your habits that make you who you are.”