This is an important time for Jim Schwartz in a couple ways. He's trying to get hired for a second stint as an NFL head coach. And he's trying to prepare his Eagles defense to face the Falcons and their eighth-ranked offense in a conference semifinal playoff game on Saturday.
With the Eagles on their bye week, Schwartz was set to interview with the Giants for their head coaching opening over the weekend. But that interview was postponed for the time being because of scheduling issues, according to Newsday.
If the Eagles win Saturday, the Giants wouldn't be allowed to interview Schwartz until after the NFC Championship Game, which is Jan. 21. If they lose, he could interview anytime.
Monday was Schwartz's first media availability in two weeks, and he politely declined to talk about anything other than this week's game.
"I think it's not fair to our players or anything else to talk about anything else," he said. "I mean, we just talk about how urgent this is and everything else. I think that that's the respect that that game has from my point of view."
Schwartz was asked if it's difficult for him to balance preparing for the Falcons and trying to land a head coaching job.
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"There was no balancing," he said. "We have enough work here. There were three teams that we could play (before Saturday), and we prepared for all three of them."
Asked why the Giants interview was postponed, he said: "I appreciate your guys need to ask stuff like that, but I'm just going to answer questions about the Falcons."
Schwartz was the Lions' head coach from 2009 through 2013. The Lions went 10-6 and reached the playoffs in 2011, losing 45-28 to the Saints at the Superdome. He had a losing record in the four other seasons.
Pat Shurmur, who spent 1999 through 2008 as tight ends coach and quarterbacks coach under Andy Reid and 2013 through 2015 as Chip Kelly's offensive coordinator, is among the other known candidates and has already interviewed with the Giants.
Shurmur was the Browns' head coach in 2011 and 2012 and served as the Eagles' interim head coach the last day of the 2015 season for a win over the Giants after Kelly had been fired.
