Nick Sirianni Contradicted His Own Organization’s Actions

Matt Patricia will run the defense for Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles for the remainder of the 2023 season. He’ll call plays to the green dot defender while Sean Desai watches from the booth. Is Patricia replacing Desai as defensive coordinator? 

Jay Glazer initially reported a quiet change at defensive coordinator. The Eagles have fudged with the wording. When did this quiet change take place? Whose decision was it? Think back to when Nick Sirianni spoke to the media on Dec. 12.

Tim McManus of ESPN asked Sirianni about the possibility of any imminent coaching changes. McManus did initially phrase his question to play-calling and the offensive side of the ball. Sirianni didn’t blink before shutting down the idea.

The Eagles head coach later spoke about his struggling defense. Was he confident in Desai? 

The actions of the organization suggest otherwise. Scrutiny of the situation results in more questions than answers. 

The Eagles play the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. 97.5 The Fanatic, however, must now acknowledge the all-of-sudden soap opera at the NovaCare Complex instead.

John Kincade presented two possible explanations for the blatant contradiction from Nick Sirianni.

Bob Cooney sees the second possibility as the likely scenario. The organization set a precedent with their previous head coach.

Bo Wulf has additionally pointed out indicators of differing opinions between the coaching staff and the front office. The Eagles have traditionally rotated pass rushers during the regime of Howie Roseman. The coaching staff has relied heavily on Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick in 2023, ignoring the organization's priority to keep their defensive linemen fresh throughout the season.

Sirianni has hesitated in key instances to make game management decisions that align with the organization's emphasis on analytics. He notably chose to punt inside his own territory in the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13. A head coach who trusts analytical success rates most likely would've kept the offense on the field.

The Philadelphia coaching staff has also relied on Kenny Gainwell with an apparent trust that the front office has never shown publicly.

The actions of the organization and the words of the head coach contradict each other. The Eagles sit at 10-3 in the driver’s seat to win the NFC East. They have a legitimate chance to earn the top seed in the NFC.

The dysfunction doesn’t characterize a Super Bowl contender. How will Nick Sirianni, Matt Patricia, and the Eagles respond to the apparent adversity?

A dark cloud hangs low over the city of Philadelphia today. Sports fans are walking with their heads hung low, bags under their eyes from staying up too late thinking about the loss. We're tired, and more importantly, we're disappointed. The Philadelphia Eagles lost their game.

So many things contributed to this devastating loss. It hurts to see such a good team get beaten. It hurts to watch another team celebrate in your stadium. At the moment, it seems nothing will make it better.

Here we are, just hours after the Eagles failed to get the win. Right now, we may all be feeling icky. But, you have to remember, it was just a game! You also have to remember that it could be worse (as a fanbase, we have experienced two crushing Super Bowl losses in recent history. Ouch). We've been through worse. It's disappointing, sure, but we've seen losses. We know what it's like. Remember, adversity makes good teams even better.

I'm not here to make promises for the future, nor am I here to explain away all that went wrong. I am here today, instead, to maybe help you out.

Exercise is always a good way to get any icky and unwanted emotions out. If the weather is okay, take the time to go out for a walk. Fresh air will always do you a world of good.

Try not to talk about the loss, of course. Or do, it may be cathartic to get it out. Being in the company of others helps you work out your emotions about the disappointing loss.

The 76ers season is going on. The Flyers have hit the ice. Express your fandom for another team! It's not the same, I know. And you may fear yet another disappointment. But it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Sixers and Flyers play multiple games a week. Life goes on.

I personally shut the TV off as soon as the final second ticks off the clock. You don't want to see another team celebrate your team's loss, so don't. Avoid social media. There are far too many trolls who love to argue. Avoid national sports analysis TV shows. They're never on our side, anyway. Don't go looking for Eagles content on social media. Don't wallow in the bad vibes.

Make today your cheat day. Who cares? Food is yummy. Food makes things better. Fill that Eagles-loss-sized hole in your heart with a cheeseburger or some pasta. There's nothing wrong with treating yourself to something that makes you happy. Go ahead. Get the milkshake after dinner.

It's hard, right? But this is how we've felt before and will feel again. Losses happen! There will always be good times to balance out the bad. They have always happened and there are always more to come. They are a good team. We can't help but love them. They have amazing personalities and are dang good at what they do. Don't forget Super Bowl LII.