Tag: Matt Patricia

Eagles defensive coordinator tracker: Vic Fangio now the favorite after Dolphins departure

We’re tracking and identifying the current candidates who have interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles vacant defensive coordinator position and a new favorite to land the job

In a move speculated on for weeks, Ian Rapoport reported that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni had fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai.

The Eagles finished the season with six losses in their last seven games, with those losses by an average of 15 points, and their only win since Week 12 came against the Giants after they nearly blew a 17-point lead.

Desai was stripped of playcalling duties before Week 15, and the move comes after Philadelphia finished their second-half collapse with a 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Monday night.

With the move now official, we’re tracking coordinator candidates ahead of the Senior Bowl and the new league year.

Eagles coordinator candidate Ryan Nielsen set to join Jaguars as DC

Jaguars are set to hire former Falcons’ defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen as their new defensive coordinator

Philadelphia is looking for a new defensive play-caller after head coach Nick Sirianni fired Sean Desai before he met with owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia had his contract expire, and he’ll explore other league opportunities.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Eagles had already reached out to interview former Falcons and Saints assistant coach Ryan Nielsen for the vacant defensive coordinator job.

That won’t happen, as Adam Schefter reports Nielsen is taking his talents to Jacksonville to join Doug Pederson’s staff as the Jaguars defensive coordinator.

Nielsen’s defensive schemes focus on his unit stopping the run out of a light box, and his aggressive approach upfront would have meshed with what Philadelphia has previously done.

The Falcon’s defense jumped to 24th this season in defense-adjusted value over average, which measures the efficiency with the opponent’s strength factored in after being 31st in 2022.

Atlanta’s pass rush went from 32nd in pressure rate in 2022 to 11th under Nielsen in 2023.

Most importantly, the Falcon’s defense under Nielsen ranked 17th in blitz percentage last season compared to the Eagle’s 24th-ranked unit.

Philadelphia will now turn towards landing an interview with Wink Martindale, while the team is also interviewing former Commander’s head coach, Ron Rivera.

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Ex-Lions coach Matt Patricia won’t be back with the Eagles

Don’t expect Patricia to be a potential candidate to replace Aaron Glenn in Detroit if Glenn leaves for a head coaching position elsewhere. 

This slid under the Detroit radar, what with the Lions playing for a trip to the NFC Championship game on Sunday, but the timing is certainly fitting. Per several reports, former Lions head coach Matt Patricia is out in Philadelphia as their defensive play-caller and mastermind,

Patricia took over the Eagles defense after Week 14 for Sean Desai, who will also not return to Philadelphia. Their defense got worse under Patricia, allowing over 27 points per game down the stretch after giving up just 24 under Desai. The Eagles lost four of their five games with Patricia in charge of the defense, including a humiliating 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the playoff opener.

His contract has now expired, and Patricia and the Eagles have both come to the conclusion that it’s best for him not to be back. Don’t expect Patricia to be a potential candidate to replace Aaron Glenn in Detroit if Glenn leaves for a head coaching position elsewhere.

 

 

Eagles have reached out to Wink Martindale about vacant defensive coordinator job

The Philadelphia Eagles have reached to Wink Martindale about interest in their vacant defensive coordinator position after firing Sean Desai

Philadelphia is looking for a new defensive play-caller after head coach Nick Sirianni fired Sean Desai before he met with owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia had his contract expire, and he’ll explore other league opportunities.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Eagles have already reached out to interview former Giants and Ravens assistant coach Wink Martindale for the vacant defensive coordinator job.

The 60-year-old is a free agent and Martindale has been an NFL assistant since 2004, spending the majority of his time with the Baltimore Ravens.

Philadelphia lacks agression on defense and Martindale would be a departure to the passive approaches of Jonathan Gannon and Sean Desai.

Martindale would be the closest thing to the late-great Jim Johnson in regards to philospy and pressure approach.

Martindale called blitzes on 46% of the Giants’ defensive plays last season — double the percentage the Eagles sent extra rushers in the regular season.

His blitz package is unpredictable, and Philadelphia has proof that it’s effective, with Jalen Hurts having faced the Giants multiple times a year over his first four years in the league.

Eagles have reached out to Ryan Nielsen about vacant defensive coordinator job

The Philadelphia Eagles have reached to Ryan Nielsen about interest in their vacant defensive coordinator position after firing Sean Desai

Philadelphia is looking for a new defensive play-caller after head coach Nick Sirianni fired Sean Desai before he met with owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia had his contract expire, and he’ll explore other league opportunities.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Eagles have already reached out to interview former Falcons and Saints assistant coach Ryan Nielsen for the vacant defensive coordinator job.

Nielsen’s defensive schemes focus on his unit stopping the run out of a light box, and his aggressive approach upfront will gel with what Philadelphia has previously done.

The Falcon’s defense jumped to 24th this season in defense-adjusted value over average, which measures the efficiency with the opponent’s strength factored in after being 31st in 2022.

Atlanta’s pass rush went from 32nd in pressure rate in 2022 to 11th under Nielsen in 2023.

Most importantly, the Falcon’s defense under Nielsen ranked 17th in blitz percentage last season compared to the Eagle’s 24th-ranked unit.

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Matt Patricia to explore other coaching options after contract expires with Eagles

Matt Patricia will explore other coaching options after departing the Philadelphia Eagles

After firing Sean Desai, the Eagles will part ways with defensive assistant Matt Patricia, as the veteran coach will explore other options.

Desai was relieved of his play-calling duties on Dec. 17, as head coach Nick Sirianni entrusted the Eagles’ defense to Patricia ahead of their Week 15 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Philadelphia’s defensive struggles continued under Patricia as the unit’s play worsened, leading Darius Slay to simultaneously compare the situation to being in two marriages.

The Eagles surrendered 24.7 points per game under Desai, 27.8 under Patricia, 358.8 yards per game under Desai, and 327.2 under Patricia.

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7 realistic defensive coordinator candidates Eagles can target after firing Sean Desai

We’re looking at seven realistic candidates who could replace Sean Desai and Matt Patricia as Defensive Coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles

A move that has been speculated on for weeks has happened after Ian Rapoport reported that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai.

The Eagles finished the season with six losses in their last seven games, with those losses by an average of 15 points, and their only win since Week 12 came against the Giants after they nearly blew a 17-point lead.

Desai was stripped of playcalling duties before Week 15, and the move comes after Philadelphia finished their second-half collapse with a 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Monday night.

With the move now official, we’re looking at seven realistic candidates who could replace Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.

Eagles fire defensive coordinator Sean Desai

The Philadelphia Eagles have fired defensive coordiantor Sean Desai

According to Ian Rapoport, the Eagles have fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who reports that the embattled defensive coordinator could have options around the league.

Desai was stripped of playcalling duties before Week 15, and the move comes after Philadelphia finished their second-half collapse with a 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Monday night.

The Eagles finished the season with six losses in their last seven games, with those losses by an average of 15 points, and their only win since Week 12 came against the Giants after they nearly blew a 17-point lead.

According to Reuben Frank, the 32-9 loss was the 2nd-biggest in franchise history and largest since a 24-loss to the Cowboys in a conference semifinal at Texas Stadium in 1992.

Philadelphia will now take steps to overhaul the unit and hire a defensive coordinator who can pressure the opposing quarterback while preventing big plays on the back end.

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Eagles GM Howie Roseman, HC Nick Sirianni reaching out to coordinator candidates

After finishing their exit meeting, Eagles GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni have begun reaching out to potential coordinator candidates

It appears that Nick Sirianni will be safe and keep his job as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles after meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman.

The same can’t be said for his assistants on both sides of the football.

Dianna Russini reports that Roseman and Sirianni have contacted potential coordinator candidates on the offensive and defensive sides.

Sirianni gets much credit for the Eagles’ success over the past three seasons.

Still, after a late-season meltdown that saw the Eagles go 1-6 in their final seven games, including the playoffs, the head coach and his assistant coaches expected were on the hot seat.

Philadelphia’s third-year head coach has far exceeded expectations, but it’s clear that Gannon and Steichen played far more prominent roles than we thought.

We previewed potential offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator candidates, and as the process began, the dominoes started to fall.

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WATCH: Darius Slay compares challenge of Eagles DC switch to being in two marriages

Darius Slay used analogy of marriage to describe the pitfalls of Philadelphia Eagles switch defensive coordinator from Sean Desai to Matt Patricia

In a move that can only be described as shocking, the Eagles demoted Sean Desai a month ago, elevating senior assistant Matt Patricia to the role of defensive coordinator.

The move turned out to be a disaster, as Philadelphia went 1-4 down the stretch and allowed 27.8 points per game, with Patricia calling the defensive plays.

After losing six of their last seven games, Darius Slay gave some insight into the meltdown in only a way that the hilariously funny cornerback can describe.

Slay compared the defensive coordinator switch to having “multiple wives” while meeting with the media on Wednesday.

“Trying to find two identities. It’s tough. It’s like having two marriages. You know how hard two marriages would be? …One might want her feet rubbed, one might want her shoulders rubbed. That’s crazy.”

Patricia’s biggest sin may have been turning All-Pro pass rusher Haason Reddick into a glorified defensive back at the most significant moments.