Evaluating Sean Desai as a Replacement for Jonathan Gannon
Sean Desai will begin his first season as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. The idea of a replacement for Jonathan Gannon might make some fans happy at first glance.
However, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Will Desai replicate the excellent output that Eagles fans saw in 2022?
Moving Past Jonathan Gannon
There is an enraged, venomous sentiment against Jonathan Gannon that’s only possible in Philadelphia. An occasionally passive approach on defense, a weak performance in Super Bowl LVII, and an absurdly off-base rant after he left Philadelphia for the Arizona Cardinals won’t get you many supporters.
Zach Berman spoke on The John Kincade Show about an ugly separation with the former defensive coordinator. Gannon certainly didn’t handle his plans to take the Cardinals job properly.
“I’ll put it this way, the fact that they (the Eagles) don’t want to touch it (tampering penalties involving Gannon) tells you a lot. They’re not saying…this is not a big deal. They’re saying, ‘This was settled and we’re moving on.’ And I think in that case, silence speaks volumes.” -Zach Berman
The perception of Gannon doesn’t tell the whole story.
He coached the top-ranked defense in the NFL by yards allowed and the sixth-ranked defense by the DVOA metric during the regular season. The Eagles shattered their franchise record with 70 sacks in 2022. They finished just two shy of tying an NFL record one season after finishing 31st in the league with 29 sacks.
The Eagles ranked dead last in opposing completion percentage in 2021. They allowed a 69.97% rate against opposing passers. The unit improved to 11th last season, cutting the rate to 62.56%. They improved their red zone defense from 29th in 2021 to 11th in 2022.
Personnel upgrades made a bigger impact on the surge. Defensive coordinators don’t roll out the ball without instructing their players though. Haason Reddick, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, and company wouldn’t have succeeded as well as they did if Gannon had forced them into an ineffective system.
Instead, the DC allowed his players to utilize their own strengths, something his predecessor Jim Schwartz struggled with.
Sean Desai
Desai rose through the ranks as a former graduate assistant at Temple University. He admirably overcame the unlikelihood of an Indian-American making a name for himself.
The fresh start will encourage a more positive perception in Philadelphia.
Gannon’s replacement has made statements seemingly in response to the most common points of criticism about his predecessor.
“We want to run. We want to hit. We want to impose our will on people. We want to embody the brand of this city and be gritty and be tough, and we’re not going to take anything from anybody.” –Sean Desai
Is his emphasis on grit and toughness just another way for a Philadelphia sports figure to pander to the fan base? After all, Desai comes from the same school of thought as Gannon.
“The biggest thing is you don’t want to give a big real estate of yards. There’s 100 yards on the field, and that’s the field that you’re defending. Any chunk of real estate that comes, whether it be through penalties, through explosive plays, missed tackles that lead to big chunks of yards, those things are things that we don’t want to play.” -Desai
Both coaches follow the Vic Fangio approach. Their main concern is limiting explosive plays. Gannon’s approach relied on the defense’s ability to create negative plays. The 2021 Eagles didn’t create enough sacks or turnovers. The 2022 team did.
Will Desai put his personnel in the right positions to create those negative plays the same way Gannon did in 2022? Berman also pointed out that Nick Sirianni hopes to show as little as possible during training camp and the preseason. Any changes won’t be obvious until the regular season begins.
Replicating Success
John Kincade believes the implementation of two new coordinators, Desai and Brian Johnson, is the biggest question mark for the 2023 Eagles.
Desai has the opportunity to begin a new era separate from the bad taste Gannon left in Philadelphia. A former Temple Owl with an admirable story appeals to Eagles fans instantly in comparison to a castoff like Gannon with very little appreciation in the city.
He can also erase the lasting disappointment of Super Bowl LVII if he can help the Eagles repeat as NFC champions and put together a more effective game plan against a top-tier quarterback that brings a second Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia.
An improvement in fan perception is great. However, it doesn’t mean the Eagles will have a successful defense in 2023. The performance of the defense will ultimately determine how the fans feel about Sean Desai.
Watch The John Kincade Show live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.
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