Eagles unofficially replacing defensive coordinator with veteran coach

After two straight losses where the Philadelphia Eagles defense allowed a total of 75 points, the team is making a change on defense.

The Eagles are stripping defensive coordinator Sean Desai of his duties, although a league source said that Desai is still the defensive coordinator. But it’s in name only. Desai will be observing the game Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks from the press box while Matt Patricia will be on the sideline calling the defensive plays.

It’s a drastic change, especially for a team tied for the NFL’s best record at 10-3 entering play Sunday. And it certainly doesn’t bode well for Desai’s status as coordinator going forward.

FoxSports Jay Glazer first reported the switch in defensive play-calling duties.

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Eagles coach Nick Sirianni wasn’t available for comment Sunday. But last Tuesday, following the 33-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Sirianni was asked if there were any plans to change coaching responsibilities either on offense or defense.

Sirianni responded by saying ‘no.’ When asked to explain why, he responded: “I feel good with the people that we have in this building. We’re 10-3. We’re in control of our own destiny, and we’re going to keep rolling and finding answers with the people that we have.’

But criticism of Desai had been mounting after the Bills racked up 505 yards on Nov. 26, although the Eagles won that game 37-34 in overtime. That was followed by two straight lopsided defeats, 42-19 to San Francisco and the loss to the Cowboys.

In one stretch during those two games, the Eagles allowed scores on 10 straight possessions (9 touchdowns and a field goal), not including the 49ers’ kneeldown to end the game.

On Wednesday, Desai was asked how he handles the criticism.

‘That’s part of the job,’ he said. ‘There is always going to be criticism. Go back every week of this season, there was criticism based on different things that happened in the game. When you play a couple games the way we have, not the performance or the standard we want to, that’s going to magnify and amplify. I get it. That’s OK.

‘What we have to do is just lean into each other and really focus on our process and getting better.’

Now the Eagles will try to do it with Patricia. He was hired last spring as a special defensive assistant with two decades of experience. Patricia was the Detroit Lions head coach from 2018-20, and the New England Patriots defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick from 2012-17.

The Patriots won two Super Bowls during that time, but Patricia had been with New England beginning in 2004. After getting fired by the Lions, Patricia returned to the Patriots as a senior football advisor in 2021-22. That included serving as a de facto co-offensive coordinator last season.

Patricia will be tasked with trying to improve an Eagles unit that ranks among the bottom in most defensive categories. The Eagles are 10-3 overall, tied for the best record in the NFL. But they’re 22nd in total defense, allowing 354 yards per game; 28th in pass defense, allowing 260 yards per game; 28th in points per game, allowing 24.7; and 32nd and last in thiird-down pass defense, allowing opponents to convert 48.1% of the time.

Patricia will have the added challenge of doing it without top cornerback Darius Slay, who had arthroscopic knee surgery last week. It’s not known how long he’ll be out. In addition, starting linebacker Zach Cunningham (knee) isn’t playing either.

Slay and Patricia clashed during Patricia’s stint as Lions head coach, and Slay has said that was the impetus for his March 2020 trade to the Eagles. But Slay said the two talked and cleared the air after the Eagles hired Patricia last spring.

In other news, the Eagles downgraded quarterback Jalen Hurts to questionable Sunday because of an illness. Hurts didn’t practice Saturday, but was listed as eligible to play. The Eagles also announced that Hurts is traveling to Seattle separate from his teammates. If Hurts can’t play Monday night, veteran Marcus Mariota will take his place.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.