Nick Sirianni panicked by demoting Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai after 13 games. His adjustment only made a strugglinng defense worse.
The decision to expand Matt Patricia’s responsibilities as the primary decision-maker on defense was a knee jerk move. It turned a bad two-game stretch against good opponents into a complete disaster that sunk the team all the way down to the brutal embarrassment in their final three games.
Andrew DiCecco identified the decision as the “turning point” of the Philadelphia Eagles collapse down the stretch. He spoke about the future of the DC position when he spoke on The John Kincade Show.
The Eagles can’t enter the 2024 season with Desai or Patricia as the DC. DiCecco proposed four external candidates who could take the position.
Eagles Defensive Coordinator Decision
An announcement on Nick Sirianni’s future will precede any decision the Eagles make to hire a defensive coordinator. Their lack of success on the defensive side of the ball, however, means they need to take action during the offseason.
If Sirianni does return in 2024, it’s likely that Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie will take a more active role in choosing the new DC. Their defensive philosophy in recent seasons has aligned with the Vic Fangio scheme focused on limiting explosive plays.
The philosophy has its flaws. However, the Eagles experienced relative success through the NFC Championship Game under Gannon in 2022. A tremendous pass rush and opportunistic turnovers carried them to an impressive statistical finish and the Super Bowl appearance.
The evaluation of a potential new DC will likely depend on how the candidates feel about employing a similar approach to accomplish the organization’s objective.