This is an extremely desperate move. The Philadelphia Eagles are REALLY hitting the panic button now as they have just cuckolded DC Sean Desai from play calling by giving all play calling responsibilities to Senior Defensive Assistant Matt Patricia.
If you have to turn to Matt Patricia to be the savior, then you know you might very well be screwed.
In light of the Eagles defensive slump over the last 8 or so weeks, Philadelphia and HC Nick Siriani are taking drastic actions by removing DC Sean Desai from all defensive play calling responsibilities and moving him off the sidelines and up into the booth and have given Senior Defensive Assistant Matt Patricia the play calling duties and spot on the sidelines. And, to be honest, I really don’t think this is going to work for them.
So, this is really one of the craziest and weirdest stories to come out of the NFL this season.
Not only are the Eagles one of the Top-5 best teams in the league with their NFC East-leading 10-3 record (which is the 2nd best in the NFC), but they also have now just essentially fired their defensive coordinator and promoted a guy who has spectacularly flamed out in his last two jobs to coach this defense to a 2nd-straight Super Bowl appearance.
There was always going to be issues galvanizing this NFC-winning defensive core after the departure of the former DC Jonathan Gannon to be the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals this past offseason, but this Eagles defense has really been one of the worst in the NFL. And that’s me putting it lightly.
For a team who has Haason Reddick, Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Josh Sweat, Shaquille Leonard, Zach Cunningham, Kevin Byard, and Reed Blankenship ALL HEALTHY and ABLE TO PLAY for the vast majority of the season (and have the likes of Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox also starting for the defense, yet ruled out now with injuries) and still be one of the Bottom-10 defenses in the NFL is completely inexcusable.
The Eagles have the 4th worst passing yards against defense in the NFL (259.9 yards against/GM), the 10th worst total yards against defense (353.9 yards against/GM), the 10th worth total points against defense (24.7 points against/GM), the joint-2nd worst interception-creating defense (6 INTs all year long), the joint-4th worst total takeaway defense (15 takeaways all year long), and contributing to the team being the 12th worst turnover differential team in the NFL (-4 on the season).
Yes, you read all of those stats right. This is the Eagles defense this season.
And, one final jab at the Eagles defense, this defense has given up 23 or more points in 7 of the Eagles games this season…which is three more than the Eagles gave up in regular season AND the four postseason games they played in all of last season. The only reason why the Eagles have 10-3 record this year is due to Jalen Hurts and this offense playing lights out nearly every game!
Moreover, with the reports coming out now that Sean Desai looked like a scared, timid, meek individual as he was calling defense, this move to kick Desai as far away from the defense as possible make perfect sense.
What doesn’t make any sense is why the Eagles are turning to Matt Patricia of all people to fix this defense?
Sure, the guy was the defensive coordinator who won two Super Bowls (2014, 2016) and reached a third (2017) with the Patriots during their second dynasty run, but how much of that can be placed on his shoulders and not on the defensive genius that is Bill Belichick? I don’t know, but I do know that after the Pats lost Super Bowl LII to the Eagles in 2017 and Patricia moved on to be the head coach of the Detroit Lions, he coached that team to a horrific 13-29-1 record with defensive rankings constantly falling in the Bottom-10 of the NFL.
Then, when he came back to New England in 2021, he helped the Pats win 10 games as the Assistant Head Coach…to only get destroyed 47-17 at the hands of the Bills in the Pats first, only, and probably last playoff appearance with Bill Belichick post Brady’s move to Tampa Bay (and then retirement).
And, last season, he was moved to the Offensive Line coach job/Senior Advisor role as the Pats finished 8-9, Mac Jones was permanently broken during this season, and the Pats offense ranked in the Bottom-15 in the NFL in just about every meaningful offensive category.
I’m sorry, but this guy has had about as many made up job titles as he has wins since he left as the Pats DC, and this season only further proves his incompetence as the Eagles have massively regressed ever since he took up the role of Senior Defensive Assistant.
Maybe this will work out in the Eagles favor, but I highly doubt it. I think this is only going to backfire.
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