Measuring Concerns About Eagles Coordinators Brian Johnson and Sean Desai
Sean Desai and Brian Johnson aren’t the two most popular figures in Philadelphia right now. Sure, the team has started 2-0, but the lack of style points has pushed the most passionate fan base in the NFL to scrutinize the two new Eagles coordinators.
Growing pains were bound to happen after Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen left Philadelphia to take head coaching jobs. Now, Nick Sirianni and his staff must reset in a way that the previous regime under Doug Pederson never could.
What kind of learning curve do the two new Eagles coordinators deserve? Adam Schefter of ESPN and Geoff Mosher of Inside the Birds gave some insight on The John Kincade Show.
Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai
The injury bug has hit the defense hard and fast early in the season. Reed Blankenship and James Bradberry have already missed time, and Avonte Maddox will likely miss the rest of the 2023 season. They’re down their top linebacker with Nakobe Dean out of action until at least Oct. 15.
The Eagles have surrendered the second-most yards in the NFL through Week 2. They have recorded only four sacks, which puts them on pace for less than half of their total from 2022, when they set a franchise record with 70. How long will Desai take to find his comfort level as a defensive coordinator?
“There’s a new role for Sean Desai. I think he’s growing into it. I don’t know whether that’s a month or a season.” -Adam Schefter
The defense hasn’t been as flimsy as those numbers might suggest. The 2022 defense set a nearly impossible bar with the sack total.
The defensive front has contributed to two victories already, and the minimal sack total doesn’t define their performance. In fact, they actually have more sacks than the 2022 defense had through two games.
Josh Sweat, Jalen Carter, and Jordan Davis have stood out while Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham clearly have enough left in the tank as key contributors. The Eagles have also forced six turnovers already.
The rest of the defense isn’t as threatening. Josh Jobe and Mario Goodrich certainly aren’t ideal NFL starters, but they’re the players Desai needs to work with.
For as much as Philadelphia fans criticized Jim Schwartz, he made adjustments with Cre’Von LeBlanc and Josh Hawkins at cornerback to hold the high-powered New Orleans Saints to 20 points in a playoff game. It’s just the way the NFL works.
Will Sean Desai be able to make those kinds of adjustments with a patchwork defense? Schefter wasn’t sure of the timeline, but in Philadelphia, you better believe the pressure is on already. Fans won’t want to hear about a learning curve after a matchup against a middling (at best) quarterback like Baker Mayfield in Week 3
Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson
Jalen Hurts hasn’t been able to replicate the same type of success he had in 2022. Is the switch from Shane Steichen to Brian Johnson going to stunt his growth in 2023? Schefter reminded you about the talent the Eagles have on offense.
“I don’t think that’s as much of a delay as the defense. The offense is loaded. The offense is going to be fine.” -Schefter
A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert make it a bit easier to get a passing game into a rhythm.
An offensive line that can feast as run blockers gives the Eagles the luxury of transitioning to a game plan focused more on the ground game. Johnsson already showed his willingness to do that when the Eagles rushed for 259 yards in Week 2.
Johnson has already spent two years on the staff under Nick Sirianni as the quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022, and he also has a long-standing relationship with Hurts. His adjustment period won’t be as long.
“I think there’s a little less uncertainty on the offensive side of the football. I think Brian Johnson’s been there. Everybody knows him.” -Schefter
Sirianni, Pederson Approach Eagles Coordinators Differently
Eagles fans remember how poorly Carson Wentz responded after Frank Reich and John DeFilippo left the staff in 2018. The demise of the Doug Pederson era had a lot to do with the inability to replace assistant coaches effectively.
Replacements like Press Taylor, Rich Scangarello, and Mike Groh struggled to gain the same kind of rhythm that the Super Bowl LVII champion staff created. The only coach in franchise history to win a Super Bowl ultimately died on the hill in a battle fought over picking assistant coaches.
Could the short life span also apply to Nick Sirianni after a Super Bowl appearance in his second season as head coach? The loss of both 2022 Eagles coordinators creates a legitimate concern. As a guest on The John Kincade Show on First Friday on Sept. 8, Geoff Mosher pointed out a key strength of Sirianni.
“First of all, he coaches his players. You see it. He also coaches his coaches. I think that was a big failure of the Doug Pederson era, the coddling of coaches, not wanting to move on…Doug, from what I was told… I think was a little too nice to his coaches.” -Geoff Mosher
Mosher believes the approach of Sirianni will help the Eagles maintain a strong staff under Sirianni.
“Nick Sirianni is not afraid, if you screw up, to take one of his coaches to task right there on the field, give him a glare. It doesn’t matter who they are.” -Mosher
Only time will tell whether or not the two new coordinators can get their units functioning at the level of a Super Bowl contender. However, there are enough indicators that a few minor hiccups that haven’t even burned the Eagles yet will improve over time. Let the Eagles lose a game before you panic about Brian Johnson and Sean Desai.
See Adam Schefter’s full interview below:
Watch The John Kincade Show live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.
Philadelphia Eagles Projected 2023 Week 3 Starters
Jalen Hurts
Quarterback, #1
Oklahoma University/University of Alabama
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (53rd overall) in 2020D'Andre Swift
Running Back, #0
University of Georgia
4th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Detroit Lions (April 2023)A.J. Brown
Wide Receiver, #11
Ole Miss
5th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Tennessee Titans (April 2022)DeVonta Smith
Wide Receiver, #6
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (10th overall) in 2021Quez Watkins
Wide Receiver, #16
Southern Miss
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (200th overall) in 2020Dallas Goedert
Tight End, #88
South Dakota State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (48th overall) in 2018Jordan Mailata
Left Tackle, #68
Jeff Stoutland University
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 7th Round (233rd overall) in 2018Landon Dickerson
Left Guard, #69
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (37th overall) in 2021Jason Kelce
Center, #62
University of Cincinnati
13th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (191st overall) in 2011Cam Jurgens
Right Guard, #51
University of Nebraska
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (51st overall) in 2022Lane Johnson
Right Tackle, #65
Oklahoma University
11th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (4th overall) in 2013Brandon Graham
Defensive End, #55
University of Michigan
14th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (13th overall) in 2010Fletcher Cox
Defensive Tackle, #91
Mississippi State
12th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (12th overall) in 2012Jordan Davis
Defensive Tackle, #90
University of Georgia
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (13th overall) in 2022Josh Sweat
Defensive End, #94
Florida State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 4th Round (130th overall) in 2018Haason Reddick
Edge Rusher/Linebacker, #7
Temple University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2022)Zach Cunningham
Linebacker, #52
Vanderbilt University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (August 2023)Nicholas Morrow
Linebacker, #41
Greensville University
6th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (March 2023)Darius Slay
Cornerback, #2
Mississippi State University
11th NFL Season- Acquired in trade from Detroit Lions (March 2020)Josh Jobe
Cornerback, #28
University of Alabama
2nd NFL Season- Signed as Undrafted Free Agent (May 2022)Justin Evans
Safety, #30
Mississippi Gulf Coast
4th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2023)Terrell Edmunds
Safety, #26
Virginia Tech
6th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2023)
