1. The decision to change defensive coordinators mid-season, following the Cowboys game, stands out as one of the franchise’s greatest mistakes. Despite a strong defensive performance in earlier games against playoff teams, the move from Sean Desai to Matt Patricia after games against the 49ers and Cowboys proved to be an overreaction. The change led to a chaotic transition between defensive systems and terminologies, making it challenging for players to adapt, resulting in ineffective performances against teams like the Seahawks, Giants, Cardinals, and Buccaneers.
2. Jason Kelce, during his Eagles career, had a total of 381 teammates.
3. James Bradberry’s decline from an elite cornerback to an ineffective one highlights the thin line between success and struggle for cornerbacks. Losing half a step in speed can drastically impact performance, as seen in Bradberry’s drop from an impressive 50.7 passer rating against last year to a troubling 118.7 passer rating this year. The decline raises questions about his future performance and the need for potential replacements like Kelee Ringo.
4. The significance of the Eagles’ offensive and defensive coordinator hires often outweighs the choice of the head coach. The success of the team in 2022, under head coach Nick Sirianni, was largely attributed to outstanding coordinators Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon. The subsequent decline in performance with new coordinators emphasizes the crucial role coordinators play in the team’s overall success.
5. Michael Clay, once considered a coach to part ways with, has now become one of the few coaches worth retaining.
6. A list of eight linebackers or defensive backs who started games in 2023 and should not be part of the team in 2024 includes names like James Bradberry, Nicholas Morrow, Kevin Byard, Zach Cunningham, Justin Evans, Shaq Leonard, Bradley Roby, and Mario Goodrich. Their collective 67 starts and 4,905 snaps showcased the need for a significant defensive overhaul.
7. It has been a decade since an Eagles cornerback had more than four interceptions in a season, with Brandon Boykin being the last to achieve this feat in 2013.
8. Jalen Hurts’ interception count increased from six to 15 in the 2023 season, making him only the third quarterback in NFL history to experience such a significant jump in interceptions from one year to the next.
9. D’Andre Swift’s potential was not fully utilized in the Eagles’ offensive scheme, leading to a late-season decline in production. A lack of creativity in using Swift impacted his touches and overall effectiveness.
10A. The Eagles’ missed tackle count reduced from 60 in the first 15 games to 31 in the last three games, with over a third of the misses occurring against the Cardinals, Giants, and Buccaneers.
10B. Broken down between defensive coordinators, the Eagles had 63 missed tackles in 13 games under Sean Desai (4.8 per game) and 38 missed tackles in five games under Matt Patricia (7.6 per game).
10C. Notable missed tackle leaders included Reed Blankenship, Zach Cunningham, James Bradberry, Darius Slay, Nicholas Morrow, Bradley Roby, Haason Reddick, Kevin Byard, Eli Ricks, Josh Sweat, and others.
10D. On a percentage basis, players with the highest missed tackles relative to attempted tackles included Derek Barnett, Mario Goodrich, Kentavius Street, Roby, Ricks, Patrick Johnson, Bradberry, Shaquille Leonard, Reddick, Slay, Blankenship, and Cunningham.
