Eagles vs. Patriots: Coach Sean Desai's 'Secret'? Hint Revealed

The Philadelphia Eagles' bend-but-don't-break philosophy is set to continue under Sean Desai as they prep for Week 1 and the New England Patriots.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is an unabashed "competitive-advantage'' guy.

The third-year mentor believes any tinge of uncertainty can help his side on game days so the Eagles stay as vanilla as possible in the preseason. More so, with 2022 coordinators Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon elsewhere that means prior film from both 2021 and last season hold a little less weight than it typically would.

The defense had far more changes than the offense and Philadelphia will enter Week 1 at New England with five new starters and three new coaches on that side of the football, headlined by new defensive coordinator Sean Desai.

“I think anytime there's unknown that's an advantage,” Sirianni said earlier this week when discussing his defense. “So, I always think that's why we were very vanilla in the preseason. We didn't want to show a lot of different things that we plan on doing during the season. Just like a first-year staff, we've got a first-year coordinator here with the Eagles.

“I think that's an advantage.”

Sirianni was quick to point out that the Patriots have a new offensive coordinator as well in Bill O’Brien even if it’s a sequel for New England.

“Obviously, I know Coach O'Brien on the other side, first-year coordinator back with the Patriots. There's a lot of film there, but it's the same thing. I think definitely not knowing is an advantage," the coach admitted "So obviously both sides have that going on right now."

Desai got his first game-week turn at the podium before practice on Wednesday and explained some of his prep.

While some believe a ton of extra work always goes into a Week 1 opponent in the NFL, that’s simply not the case.

Former Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, now the top defensive mind in Cleveland, once described the NFL calendar to SI.com’s Eagles Today: “The offseason is for teaching, camp is for evaluation, and the season is about prepping for the next opponent.”

Desai explained the Eagles had their first meeting really honing in on the Patriots offense on Wednesday morning like a typical Sunday game week when the staff culled through O’Brien’s history, not only his prior stint in New England but his time as the head coach in Houston and his work as OC at Alabama.

“Similar to what they're probably looking at for me is comprehensive," Desai said. "We've had a lot of time to dig in and really try to build -- every week we try to build a story for our team what we think the opponent is going to do. We had our first meeting today as part of that. We've had a couple meetings, but our first big one about that today.

“So that's kind of been that process. We have had some time to dig in and look at all of his [Patriots assistant Bill O’Brien] stuff in his past from when he was a head coach, when he was an offensive coordinator, to his recent years at Alabama.”

A big part of that was tapping into senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia, who has a long history with New England head coach Bill Belichick and worked closely with Pats quarterback Mac Jones as the offensive play-caller last season.

“He was vital in terms of giving us some intel on really all their players. He was there for a bunch of years and obviously last year on the offensive side of the ball,” said Desai. “So, he's been great in terms of providing information on what he thinks they do well and where we can maybe take advantage of some matchups. Mac is a tremendous player and he's been playing at high level for a long time through college and the NFL, so it'll be a good challenge for us.”

In the end, Desai has been handed the organization's philosophy of stressing what Sirianni calls the double-positives: winning the explosive play and turnovers.

How Desai accomplishes will be left up to him as long as the goals are accomplished.

“That philosophy of eliminating explosives matches the organizational philosophy because it's important,” Desai said. “You don't want to give up a chunk real estate of yards. ... It's a scheme thing. We got to be able to make sure our defensive structure doesn't give up big plays."

Those hoping for wholesale changes on a defense that finished No. 2 in the NFL with a franchise record 70 sacks were always being emotional. You don't fix what isn't broken.

“We're not in the business of giving up free yards," Desai said. "We want people to earn things on us and make them work to earn things, and that's the business we'll be in. We're not going to deter from that and our guys know that, that whatever we do give up, every inch we give up on that field, they better earn.”

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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen