A year ago, defensive coordinator Sean Desai was viewed as a future NFL head coaching candidate after helping the Philadelphia Eagles allow just 20.2 points per game, ranking eighth-best in the NFL. Despite getting out to a strong start, allowing 20.1 PPG through seven weeks, the Eagles have allowed opponents to average 30 PPG in the past six games. Now, the Eagles rank 28th in the NFL, allowing 24.7 PPG.
Meanwhile, the offense has continued to be among the NFL’s best, scoring 26.3 PPG and ranking seventh in the league entering NFL games today. Last season, the Eagles averaged 28.1 PPG and went 14-3, whereas they already have three losses in 13 games in 2023.
Needless to say, the Eagles are still a great team, but it’s obvious that the defense is falling apart. Naturally, the Eagles realized this too, so they decided to make a rare in-season coaching change.
According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, the Eagles removed Desai from his post and re-assigned him elsewhere on the defense. Philadelphia’s new defensive coordinator is Matt Patricia, formerly of the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.
Patricia is now calling plays for the defense, but Desai’s new role is not yet known.
While the change is sudden, it’s not like Patricia doesn’t have plenty of experience. He previously spent six seasons coordinating the Patriots’ defense from 2012-17, where New England had a top-ten scoring defense each year. Thanks to his success with the Patriots, winning two Super Bowls, Patricia was able to become Detroit’s head coach from 2018-2020, where he led a 13-29-1 record.
Once his tenure in Detroit ended, Patricia returned to Bill Belichick’s coaching staff in New England, operating as a senior football advisor and offensive line coach. Then, in 2023, he joined the Eagles, as a senior defensive assistant. Fifteen weeks into the season, now he’s become the team’s new defensive coordinator.
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