Rich’s Stern Advice for Upset Eagles Fans Despite Philly Starting the Season 2-0

Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Eagles won a football game, and their fans are not happy.

That was the premise on The Rich Eisen Show after Philadelphia pulled one out in Tennessee to move to 2-0. The desk floated a theory borrowed from Jim Harbaugh, who once said you don't eat chicken because it's a nervous bird. "Maybe eagles are the nervous bird," Rich offered.

Rich knows this fan base. He told everyone to relax last year, the Eagles made the playoffs, got bounced, and the response he heard was essentially: I relaxed for six weeks and then everything I was worried about came true. Fair enough. But Rich still had a question for Philadelphia. Would you sign up for this?

The numbers he laid out make a strong case. The Eagles have started 2-0 in four of the last five seasons and made the playoffs in each of the last three. Under Nick Sirianni, a coach Rich suspects some fans wanted to ship elsewhere had this game gone the other way, they are 10-2 in the first two weeks of a season. Against AFC teams since 2022, they are 18-3, winning 85 percent of those games. Sirianni is 21-7 against the opposing conference, including playoffs. The only coach in the Super Bowl era with a better record in that situation is John Madden.

There was history in Tennessee, too. It was the Eagles' first road win over the Titans since the franchise moved to Tennessee. Jalen Hurts threw for over 200 yards and two touchdowns for the second straight game, something he had not done since November of 2024, and he threw his first career go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute of regulation or overtime.

Rich understands the counterargument. It was Tennessee, a team that is supposed to "stank on ice," even on a day so hot players were icing down cleats and Saquon Barkley retreated to a blue tent in full gear. But Rich was not having it. "It's the National Football League," he said. "There are grown ass men." The Titans were the team the Jets came in and hit in the mouth, and those same Jets nearly beat the Packers at home.

"It's early in a season, people," Rich said. "You are what you are, which is 2 and 0." Nobody has looked dominant except the Niners, he noted. Even the defending champion Seahawks, the desk pointed out, had to intercept Drake Maye three times to survive at home on banner night. "It's the first two weeks, everybody. Good lord."

Then Rich turned to Hurts to keep everyone calm, knowing full well it drives Philadelphia nuts because the quarterback "never says anything." Asked how he keeps his poise, Hurts said it came down to "trusting the guys around me, being in the moment," and that "it's a team game in the end. Takes all 11 out there on the field." Rich's review: "a man who's always poised to tell you nothing."

So Rich answered for him, in character and at full volume. He was the man at Alabama playing for Nick Saban, got the team to the national championship game, and was told to sit down for Tua. He stayed, helped out anyway, then left for Oklahoma "and I'll wind up on a podium for the Heisman freaking trophy." Drafted by a team that already had Carson Wentz, because "I'm a dog. That's why." Two Super Bowl trips, one heartbreaking loss where he "damn near" won MVP, and one title where he did. All of it while "there's a revolving freaking door in my headset."

The show put the list on screen, and Rich ran through the play-callers, Shane Steichen being the only one who stayed in his ear in consecutive years. Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore, Kevin Patullo, and now Sean Mannion. "How do I stay poised?"

Rich had one more theory, one he said he first floated on Overreaction Monday. "Part of me thinks this is the only manner in which the Nick Sirianni Eagles are comfortable operating," he said. "I know I'm opening myself up for conversation in Eastern PA. But I just had to say it."

The desk rallied to Hurts. One member called out "the lack of respect this man gets," noting "the results don't lie," before admitting it was infuriating to "stand up for an Eagles quarterback." Another member of the desk recounted trying to give an Eagles fan's quarterback some credit while waiting on sneakers in Englewood. The fan's only response: "Well, Dak sucks." Dak Prescott, for the record, then threw four touchdowns and no picks to become the Cowboys' all-time passing touchdown leader.

That's football. And in Philadelphia, apparently, 2-0 is something to endure.