The Impact of Jonathan Gannon Leaving the Philadelphia Eagles

Jonathan Gannon certainly made some waves after leaving the Philadelphia Eagles. The former defensive coordinator unceremoniously accepted his first head coaching job without following accepted practice in the NFL. The tampering mishap cost the Eagles the opportunity to hire Vic Fangio as Gannon’s replacement.

He will lead the 3-12 Arizona Cardinals into Lincoln Financial Field in Week 17.

Adam Schefter spoke on The John Kincade Show in May about the tampering penalties imposed on the Cardinals by the NFL. 

He retraced back to the original story during his weekly appearance on Wednesday at 8am.

The Philadelphia defense has struggled to handle the coordinator and personnel changes of the offseason. Sean Desai lasted only 13 games as the primary decision-maker. Veteran Matt Patricia now calls the plays after a desperate late-season change.

The Eagles have slipped to 23rd in the NFL in defensive DVOA after finishing 6th under Gannon in 2022, per FTN Fantasy. They rank 20th in yards allowed and 25th in points allowed.

Gannon coached the top-ranked defense in the NFL by yards allowed in 2022. The Eagles shattered their franchise record with 70 sacks, two shy of tying an NFL record. The defense posted dominant performances in the NFC playoffs by holding their opponents to 14 combined points in two games. 

Personnel upgrades made a bigger impact on the surge than the defensive coordinator. However, coaches don’t roll out the ball without instructing their players. 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 strengths, something his predecessor Jim Schwartz struggled with. The approach was good enough for a Super Bowl appearance. It wasn’t good enough to get the Eagles another Lombardi Trophy, however.

Gannon showed an inability to develop game plans to stop top-tier NFL quarterbacks during his two seasons in Philadelphia. That was never more evident than against Patrick Mahomes and the Kanas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Sheil Kapadia pointed out alarming stats of ineffective defense on the biggest stage.

He took the previous 400 Eagles games as his sample size and ranked the defensive performance in the Super Bowl 395th by defensive success rate. The Kansas City offense in the Super Bowl ranked in the 98th percentile of offensive success rate for every game of the 2022 season.

The Eagles defense came up with no plays in the most crucial moments, and it cost Jalen Hurts and the offense a chance to win an all-time classic.

The units relevant to the conversation haven’t thickened the plot much in 2023. The Eagles haven’t performed well defensively this season. There is no singular root of the issues, however.

Matt Patricia finds himself working with a lack of edge rusher depth, a pair of declining outside cornerbacks, and a glaring void of playmakers at the linebacker and safety positions.

Sean Desai might not have helped the situation in 13 games, but it’s hard to say Vic Fangio would be running a defensive unit at the top of the NFL if he took the DC job in Philadelphia.

The Miami Dolphins have allowed their fair share of points under Fangio. They rank 20th in scoring defense but 4th in yards allowed. They rank 15th in defensive DVOA.

The Cardinals rank dead last in the NFL in defensive DVOA. They don’t have the talent to pin their problems on coaching, but no organization that hires a defensive-minded head coach expects to sit toward the bottom of the league in most major defensive categories.

Schefter spoke only about Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals, and the Eagles. The organizations aren’t the only ones who get a voice inside NFL stadiums.

The most passionate fans in professional sports react to the success and/or failure of the Eagles with extremes. Gannon knows that all too well after taking intense criticism throughout his two-year tenure under Nick Sirianni. He gained no supporters with a misguided and unprofessional offseason rant about how the Philadelphia media and fans perceived him.

The Eagles might not ultimately be in a better position if Vic Fangio was calling the defense, and the Miami defense isn’t lighting the world on fire anyway. When Gannon walks into the Linc on New Year’s Eve, the Philadelphia crowd probably won’t think much about that. They’ll see a flawed former assistant coach who criticized Philadelphia publicly after he left the Eagles on less-than-spectacular terms.

He’s now in charge of a pitiful 3-12 football team that comes to town to face an Eagles team in need of a get-right blowout. What better target for a chorus of boos reigning down at the Linc?

Don’t expect many Eagles fans to wish Jonathan Gannon a happy New Year.

The Philadelphia Eagles have finally rebounded from three consecutive losses and improved to 11-4 on the 2023 NFL season. A tight victory over the New York Giants didn't inspire too much hope, but the Eagles hope to have key starters Avonte Maddox and Landon Dickerson back on the field in Week 17 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The three-game losing streak sent shockwaves of panic throughout the fan base. Things didn't look perfect at Lincoln Financial Field against the Giants on Christmas. The Eagles ultimately halted the losing skid.

The Eagles have struggled with the same weaknesses throughout the 2023 season, and their recent opponents have exposed their flaws brutally.

Jalen Hurts threw another interception against the Giants. This one cost the Eagles eight points. He has turned the ball over 18 times during the 2023 season. Boston Scott and Olamide Zaccheaus also contributed to a sloppy special teams turnover. The Eagles now sit tied for 25th in the NFL with a -7 turnover differential.

Darius Slay will miss his third consecutive game after an arthroscopic knee surgery. Kelee Ringo was the primary fill-in on the outside for the injured Pro Bowl cornerback. Zach Cunningham and Nicholas Morrow also sat out in Week 16 against the Giants. The two linebackers have handled the majority of the defensive snaps this season. Shaq Leonard played an increased role with the two starters unavailable.

Sua Opeta started at left guard in place of Landon Dickerson, but Dickerson should return against the Cardinals.

Avonte Maddox has missed the past 13 games with a pec injury. He hopes to return as the slot corner to sure up a position that has become a weakness for the Philadelphia defense.

With the need for a stronger rebound effort, Nick Sirianni hopes to have his roster at full strength against the Cardinals. 

Quarterback, #1
Oklahoma University/University of Alabama
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (53rd overall) in 2020

Running Back, #0
University of Georgia
4th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Detroit Lions (April 2023)

Wide Receiver, #11
Ole Miss
5th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Tennessee Titans (April 2022)

Wide Receiver, #6
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (10th overall) in 2021

Wide Receiver, #80
University of Alabama
13th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (October 2023)

Tight End, #88
South Dakota St.
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (48th overall) in 2018

Left Tackle, #68
Jeff Stoutland University
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 7th Round (233rd overall) in 2018

Left Guard, #69
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (37th overall) in 2021

Center, #62
University of Cincinnati
13th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (191st overall) in 2011

Right Guard, #51
University of Nebraska
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (51st overall) in 2022

Left Tackle, #69
Oklahoma University
11th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (4th overall) in 2013

Defensive End, #94
Florida State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 4th Round (130th overall) in 2018

Defensive Tackle, #91
Mississippi State
12th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (12th overall) in 2012

Defensive Tackle, #90
University of Georgia
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (13th overall) in 2022

Edge Rusher/Linebacker, #7
Temple University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2022)

Linebacker, #41
Greensville University
6th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (March 2023)

Linebacker, #50
South Carolina St.
6th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (December 2023)

Cornerback, #22
University of Georgia
1st NFL Season, Drafted in 4th Round (105th Overall) in 2023

Cornerback, #24
University of Arkansas/Samford University
8th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (May 2022)

Cornerback, #29
University of Pittsburgh
Drafted in 4th Round (125th overall) in 2018

Safety, #31
Middle Tennessee State
8th NFL Season, Acquired in trade from Tennessee Titans (October 2023)

Safety, #32
Middle Tennessee State
2nd NFL Season- Signed as Undrafted Free Agent (May 2022)