In a surprising move, the Eagles have turned to a familiar face on the staff to take over as defensive coordinator. Senior assistant Matt Patricia has been elevated to this role, replacing Sean Desai in this position. Desai will remain with the team in a different capacity, but it is Patricia who will now be running and calling the plays for the defense.
News of this change came from NFL insider Jay Glazer, who reported that Desai has been moved to a different position, while Patricia is set to take on the defensive coordinator role. This development was confirmed by Ian Rapoport, who announced that Patricia will be calling the plays into the green dot player starting Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks. Desai will move to the coaching booth, where he will resume calling plays from, similar to when he was defensive coordinator with the Bears in 2021.
Some have expressed surprise and concern over this sudden change. Eliot Shorr-Parks questioned whether the decision was a knee-jerk reaction to a few bad games against elite offenses. Similarly, Noah Becker and Jimmy Kempski noted that this move seems to come out of panic instead of a careful evaluation of the situation. Despite being 10-3, the Eagles have seemingly faced no adversity thus far in the season, and the decision to suddenly demote Desai in favor of Patricia is raising eyebrows.
On the other hand, there seems to be some support for the change, as shown when sports radio host Ike Reese tweeted a series of emojis expressing intrigue. But for the most part, many have criticized the decision, with reporters like Bo Wulf and Bill Barnwell calling it “deeply unserious” and “an interesting change to make in mid-December,” respectively.
This decision to replace Desai with Patricia is not taken lightly, given Patricia’s mixed track record in the NFL. Matt Patricia is known for his time as the head coach of the Detroit Lions, where he faced criticism for his lackluster performance. Nevertheless, this experience is not all that Patricia brings to the table. He also has a strong background working with the New England Patriots and has been serving as an assistant coach with the Eagles. Yet, to give him such responsibility at this point in the season is surprising to many.
Sheil Kapadia pointed out that Glazer’s statement that “Patricia now runs and calls the defense” cuts through any positive spin on the situation, highlighting the significant change that has taken place. All of this has raised questions about the future of the defense under Patricia’s leadership, given that the Eagles are currently ranked 23rd in points allowed per game.
In response to the speculation surrounding Patricia, several reporters have mentioned the timing of this change. Zach Berman noted that this move might be more notable, considering the loss of other key coaching staff members. Likewise, John Clark acknowledged the significance of the change in the defensive coordinator position and teased that there might be more to the story with the hashtag #Eagles news.
The decision to replace Desai with Patricia does not come without its fair share of debate and skepticism. Whether this move will be a positive game-changer for the Eagles or a detrimental setback remains to be seen. For now, the team is preparing for its upcoming games with their defensive strategy in new hands.
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