This year, headlines surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles have revolved around their patented “tush push” and Nick Sirianni’s puzzling, often erratic game management.
Criticizing Sirianni has become routine for Monday-morning quarterbacks, but his 42-19 career regular season record — the highest win percentage in Eagles franchise history and second among active head coaches — proves he is doing something right.
Sirianni’s success isn’t an aberration – he makes good decisions behind the scenes, especially when it comes to appointing the right coordinators. After last year’s defensive struggles, the Eagles overhauled their staff, bringing in veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and 36-year-old offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Despite the Eagles' inexperience, Fangio has transformed their defense into an elite unit. Fangio's remarkable turnaround has drawn praise from former head coaches like Jon Gruden.
On the Pardon My Take podcast recorded before the Eagles’ matchup against the Commanders, Gruden praised the Eagles DC:
“Fangio is a hell of a coach, and he’s hired really good coaches to help him… he teaches guys how to tackle and take proper angles; they are very detailed, they are very disciplined, and there are no exceptions.”
Philadelphia’s defensive resurgence is particularly impressive, given the inexperience of its players:
6-of-11 Eagles starters are 24 years old or younger
2-of-3 starting cornerbacks are rookies
0-of-11 starters had played for Fangio before this year.
Once a defense that surrendered 38 points in the Super Bowl, the Eagles have rebuilt their unit and infused it with youth. The secondary, in particular, has gone from porous to impermeable: the Eagles have three Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks this year – two of whom are rookies.
Standout rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo), nicknamed the “Warden of Quintanamo Bay,” has been especially imposing. He should be the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and his stats through the first 10 weeks underscore this dominance:
Week 1 vs. Packers: 1 reception, 6 yards
Week 2 vs. Drake London: 1 reception, 5 yards
Week 3 vs. Chris Olave: 2 receptions, 23 yards
Week 4 vs. Mike Evans: 2 receptions, 19 yards
Week 5: bye week
Week 6 vs. Amari Cooper: 1 reception, 10 yards
Week 7 vs. Malik Nabers: 1 reception, 9 yards
Week 8 vs. Ja’Marr Chase: 2 receptions, 19 yards
Week 9 vs. Jaguars: 1 reception, 11 yards
Week 10 vs. CeeDee Lamb: 2 receptions, 14 yards
Week 11 vs. Terry McLaurin: 0 receptions, 0 yards
Mitchell isn’t alone in elevating the Eagles' defense; rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean (Iowa) has also performed at a Pro Bowl level. Despite their youth, DeJean, Mitchell, and the rest of the young Eagles have contributed to a cohesive unit that plays with resolve under Fangio. As Gruden said, “A lot of it has to do with the simplicity of [Fangio’s system], but he teaches effort.”
Philadelphia's defense rallies to the ball and tackles in the open field, which contributes to winning football. Key plays like Nakobe Dean’s game-sealing interception against Jacksonville and Mitchell’s shutdown of Terry McLaurin also showcase Philadelphia’s playmaking across all three levels.
Though Fangio seldom blitzes, resulting in fewer sacks, his defense excels in other critical areas. Philadelphia succeeds because they stop the run on early downs, force teams into 3rd-and-longs, and consistently get off the field on third down. This “recipe of passivity,” as I call it, has been highly effective through 10 weeks, and Fangio doesn't get enough credit.
Meet the 11 starters on the Eagles’ defense:
Defensive Line
Jalen Carter (DT): 2nd season, 2023-24 DROY runner-up
Jordan Davis (DT): 3rd season, first-year starting
Nolan Smith (edge): 2nd season, first-year starting
Josh Sweat (edge): 7th season
Linebackers
Nakobe Dean: 3rd season, first-year starting
Zach Baun: 4th season, first year with Philadelphia, never played middle linebacker in his career.
Gruden calls him “one of the best-kept secrets in the league”
Secondary
Cooper DeJean (CB): rookie, starter
Quinyon Mitchell (CB): rookie, starter
Darius Slay Jr. (CB): 12th season, 6x Pro Bowler
C.J. Gardner-Johnson (S): 5th season, second stint with Philadelphia
Reed Blankenship (S): 3rd season
With Fangio at the helm, Philadelphia’s once-maligned defense is thriving in 2024. As the Eagles eye a February trip to New Orleans, Fangio’s swift defensive turnaround could propel the Birds to a third Super Bowl appearance in eight years.
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