NFC East: Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni's Flaws Helpful to Commanders Goals

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni's perceived flaws could aid the Washington Commanders in going worst-to-first in the NFC East Division.

Oct 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni questions a call against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders are being compared to many to the 2023 Houston Texans who turned a second-overall quarterback selection into a division title after finishing last place in the AFC South the year prior.

That quarterback, C.J. Stroud, is good friends with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels who was also selected second-overall and is playing for a coach in his first year with the franchise. So there are more similarities than one or two. 

But Washington has to do something that the Texans didn’t have to, and that’s topple the NFC East Division’s two top teams, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

In a previous divisional catch-up article we discussed the hot-seat and even ‘lame duck’ labels being carried by Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott. But McCarthy isn’t the only coach with one foot out of the office.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni raised a lot of eyebrows - not in a good way - in 2023 by his mishandling, or downright inaction - of his offensive and defensive coordinators when they needed him the most.

READ MORE: Cowboys Lining Up for Commanders-Like Overhaul?

Oct 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni questions a call against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

"I take a step back and (say)...’Nick Sirianni, what do you do? What is your job description?’"

- Gino Cammilleri, Locked On Eagles

“Now with (offensive coordinator) Kellen Moore and (quarterback) Jalen Hurts saying that 95% of the stuff that they're learning in OTAs is Kellen Moore's offense I take a step back and (say)...’Nick Sirianni, what do you do? What is your job description?’," Gino Cammilleri of the Locked On Eagles podcast said on a recent appearance on the Locked On Commanders podcast. “If you're a head coach that, let's say the (Baltimore Ravens coach John) Harbaugh of the world, who's a special teams guy, you can see why he's been in that position for so long because two-minute offense, two-minute defense, situational football, having a grasp of the personnel and how they fit in the city, that's what Nick Sirianni failed at last year. He failed in all those little areas that your General -  if you're the guy overseeing the battle plans -  if those little details go wrong, it's going to fall on your shoulders at the end of the day because you weren't responsible for play calling (because) it quote, ‘wasn't your offense’, that was Shane Steichen and Brian Johnson's offense. So what Nick Sirianni has to do to prove that he truly is the guy that when adversity does hit this ship, (it) cannot tip over, because if it does all eyes are going to him immediately.”

Questions about what Sirianni truly does from a functional standpoint were raised often during the great Philadelphia collapse that saw the team lose six of its final seven games after starting the year 10-1. That includes a32-9 Wild Card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team the Eagles had beaten 25-11 on the road in Week 3 of the regular season. 

From there Philadelphia ousted its coordinators and brought in two, Moore along with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, so don’t appear to need their head coach to help guide their units. 

Bringing forth the question, what does Sirianni bring to the table? Does he have what it takes to lead the Eagles back to the top of the NFC East? And if not, how does that improve the Commanders’ odds of replicating what Houston did in 2023?

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READ MORE: Commanders Close to Texans' Path

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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