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Vic Fangio says Nick Sirianni didn’t call for a defensive play in the Browns’ win

Vic Fangio says Nick Sirianni didn’t call for a defensive play in the Browns’ win

Photo: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

At Nick Sirianni’s postgame press conference on Sunday afternoon, the one with his children, he told reporters that he made a defensive decision during the win:

Q On the final sequence before halftime:

NICK SIRIANNI: I will never try to give someone else a competitive advantage.

I’ll say this: I made the call on third and one. Nobody else but me. You know, like I said, I did that once on defense too.

I called the defense. It didn’t work out, just so you know. I’ll get this out there. It wasn’t Vic’s fault. I won’t tell you which piece. I will do that from time to time. This time it didn’t work. This is because of none other than me.

The coordinators are holding their press conferences later in the week, and of course Fangio was asked about it.

He clarified that Sirianni wasn’t calling a play, but rather making a suggestion:

Head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game that he made a defensive play call. First of all, what was that call and are you okay with that? (Jimmy Kempski)

VIC FANGIO: It wasn’t a defensive decision. It was just a situational thing where he just said, ‘Hey, be alert.’ He didn’t call defense.

What was the situation like back then that he –(Jimmy Kempski)

VIC FANGIO: It was just when they had the ball near midfield and it was third and long. He said, “Hey, be alert that they might check it” or something like that. “They’re trying to get within field goal range.”

How involved is Nick Sirianni in your game day work compared to other head coaches you have worked for? (Bo Wulf)

VIC FANGIO: It’s pretty similar.

He said that he probably made the wrong suggestion for this piece. What happened on the 3rd?approx-and-long? (Jimmy Kempski)

VIC FANGIO: In the end they got more than I would have liked. But what he said was irrelevant.

At the time it seemed like a big headache because Fangio sits up in the locker room and dictates defensive moves. You rarely hear of head coaches stepping in and overriding the DC with a specific coverage or blitz decision.

Fangio didn’t specify which play he was talking about, but as we went over the transcript, there was a 3rd-and-14 from the Eagles’ 44-yard line with 4:58 left in the second quarter. The Eagles blitzed and Deshaun Watson hit David Njoku for 10 yards. On 4th-and-4, instead of shooting from 51 yards, they decided to go and convert, this time hitting Njoku for 14 yards and eventually settling for a field goal as the Eagles remained on the edge of the red zone . That must be the play and order he’s talking about because I don’t see any other thirds and longs that took place near the middle of the field.

The real question is why Sirianni would say he ordered a defensive play when he actually didn’t. This press conference was about everything, and I’m guessing he probably just wants to take as many bullets as possible, fall on the sword, deflect, whatever term you want to use. He puts everything on himself, takes the criticism on himself and possibly misspeaks in the process. At least I hope that’s the case because when he plays on both sides of the ball it seems to be a problem.