So Connected

Posted: November 7th, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

I remember being in Philadelphia for the Super Bowl parade back in February of 2018. It was a glorious time of celebration with lots of hope for the future. With a good coaching staff and star QB in Carson Wentz, there were sure to be more Super Bowls. Was this the beginning of a dynasty?

I do remember hearing that Josh McDaniels had changed his mind and turned down the Colts head coaching job. Now there was talk of the Colts going after Frank Reich. I hoped that wouldn’t happen so the Eagles could keep their key coaches. Unfortunately, he did get that job. Carson Wentz never got back to his 2017 level and the Eagles never came close to another title. Stupid Josh McDaniels ruined it all!

And now…

Tough ending for a good coach. Reich leaves with a record of 40-33-1 and two playoff appearances. He did some good things, but never could get the team over the hump. The biggest issue was QB.

That is crazy.

Reich might get another job when the season is over. Some other team that has a QB or is about to draft a QB could see the value in having Reich as their coach. If that doesn’t happen, he could get a job with the Eagles.

Assuming the Eagles finish well, teams will be looking at their assistants as coaching candidates. OC Shane Steichen and QBs coach Brian Johnson could be hot commodities. If they leave, Reich could be a good option for his close friend Nick Sirianni. Reich has a good understanding of RPOs and a pro passing attack. He’s worked with all kinds of QB and has very good people skills. He could join a successful, established staff and fit in without causing issues.

It is funny that when Reich left, people started to give him a lot of credit for the Super Bowl season. They said Doug Pederson was overrated and Reich was the real reason the Eagles won. Ironically, some are now saying that Sirianni was the key to Reich’s success in Indy. Reich was 28-20 with Sirianni, 12-13-1 without him. I think QB play is the bigger key, but a funny thought anyway.

Back to McDaniels for a second. Imagine how different things might have turned out.

Reich would have stayed in Philly that year. All the other jobs were filled. Maybe the combination of Pederson and Reich would have kept Carson Wentz on track and he wouldn’t have begun his bizarre fade to being the NFL’s most erratic QB. Who knows what would have happened in 2018 and the next couple of years.

Sirianni wouldn’t have gone to Indy to be the OC. He might be an OC elsewhere or a positional assistant. It is very doubtful he’s a head coach anywhere. Who knows where Jalen Hurts would be playing and if he’d be having any success.

I was mad when McDaniels backed out and the Eagles lost Reich, but in the end, McDaniels may have done us a big favor. Sirianni seems like a great coach and Hurts could be on his way to the MVP.

It really is crazy how connected things are in the NFL world.

*****

The Colts firing Reich wasn’t a huge surprise, but this certainly is.

Imagine Jason Kelce succeeding Sirianni in about five years. Would be fun, but would it be smart?

The Colts are not boring, aside from the on-field product.

*****

After Buffalo’s sloppy performance and loss to the Jets yesterday, the Eagles are now the top team in Football Outsiders DVOA rankings.

They are 4th in offense, 3rd in defense and 23rd in STs.

As for good old fashioned stats, the Eagles are now 2nd in points scored and 4th in yards.

The defense is 4th in points allowed and 3rd in yards allowed.

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One Comment on “So Connected”

  1. 1 The Linc - NFL executive says a “few late-season losses would actually help” the Eagles - Philadelphia News Station said at 10:15 AM on November 8th, 2022:

    […] So Connected – Iggles BlitzFor a second, go back to McDaniels. Imagine what might have happened. Reich would have stayed in Philly the year before. All the other jobs were filled. Maybe the combination of Pederson and Reich would have kept Carson Wentz on track and he wouldn’t have begun his bizarre fade to being the NFL’s most erratic QB. We don’t know what might have happened in 2018 or the next two years. Sirianni wouldn’t have gone to Indy to be the OC. He could be an OC or a roleal assistant. It is very doubtful he’s a head coach anywhere. Who knows where Jalen Hurts would be playing and if he’d be having any success. McDaniels was a mad man when he pulled out and the Eagles lost Reich. However, McDaniels may well have done us a favor in the end. Sirianni appears to be a great coach. Hurts may soon be the MVP. It is amazing how interconnected things are in the NFL. […]