Situational Football Sets Eagles Apart

Expected to be a hot head-coaching candidate, Kellen Moore has been impressed with how Nick Sirianni handles situational football.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - With Black Monday looming, hiring season will quickly follow in the NFL and that tends to affect good teams.

At 13-3 with the regular-season finale Sunday against the dismal New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles are regarded as one of the true Super Bowl contenders by most with two accomplished coordinators helping fuel that success.

Typically, veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who has put together the No. 1 unit in the NFL through 17 weeks, a stark turnaround from the 2023 campaign when Philadelphia had one of the worst stop units in the NFL, would be a hot commodity.

At 66, however, the former head coach in Denver has stated that he hopes that his adopted hometown of Philadelphia is his last stop. Fangio was born in Northeast Pennsylvania, started his pro coaching career with the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars 40 years ago and is a long time Philly sports fan. His family is also sprinkled throughout the area.

That said, Fangio's healthy, remains sharp, and is almost universally regarded as the best defensive mind in the business by the sharp, new-age of coaches that have helped define the modern NFL like Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Kevin O’Connell, Matt LaFleur and the Eagles’ Nick Sirianni.

Although a longshot, if an organization comes calling with a real opportunity to be a head coach again you can never say never.

On the other hand, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, 36, is an almost guaranteed head-coaching candidate who should generate multiple interview opportunities after proving he could change direction in-season and build an offense around the unique skills of quarterback Jalen Hurts and a franchise running back in Saquon Barkley.

Most organizations lean toward offense more than defense and Moore’s shelf life if successful could span many years.

Despite his young age, the Eagles OC has also already proven that he could shape successful offenses around Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, and now Hurts.

When asked about how Sirianni has prepared him for the next step on Tuesday, Moore answered by lauding Sirianni’s approach with situational football.

“Nick just does an excellent job each and every week preparing the team,” Moore said. “I think his messaging is excellent. It’s really awesome, just the way he leads our team. And he does an excellent job throughout the week preparing us and putting ourselves in situations.”

Multiple team sources have told Philadelphia Eagles On SI that Sirianni is obsessive with situational football to the point that he encourages text chains with players and staff if they see something unique, be it in college games or the NFL.

The Eagles also have situational Saturdays where everything from the upcoming officiating staff to mistakes or successes elsewhere are discussed.

“Nick does an excellent job. Especially for him and I as far as our roles, just teaming up when we go through game plan processes and also situational footbal,” Moore said. “Because there are so many situations that come up throughout each and every week, and there are things that come up throughout the season across the NFL.”

“... Each and every week as a staff. Sometimes as myself, him, [Assistant General Manager] Jon [Ferrari], [Passing Game Coordinator/Associate Head Coach] Kevin [Patullo], some of the situational football guys, go through all the different things that come up throughout this league,” Moore explained. “Because as much as you prepare, there will be something every week in the NFL that you haven't fully discussed, or maybe there’s a contingency that may be an adjustment to an original plan.

“He does an awesome job continuing to prepare and evolve that way.”

Only 43 himself with four seasons as a head coach, Sirianni’s coaching tree already has two significant branches in Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon and Indianapolis mentor Shane Steichen. There’s a solid chance Moore could be No. 3 this offseason.

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