Philadelphia Eagles: New HC Nick Sirianni could usher in a quick “re-tool”

Less than a week ago, and Philadelphia Eagles fans were having to be talked off the ledge when it came to Josh McDaniels potentially landing the team’s head coaching gig. Luckily, Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman pivoted in an entirely different direction altogether, hiring Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni instead.

Frank Reich’s right hand man out in Indianapolis, Sirianni was a surprise candidate who quickly climbed the ranks of the Eagles hiring process due to his strong offensive resume, and a successful interview that spanned over two full days.

Philadelphia Eagles have found their newest HC in Nick Sirianni.

Like most head coaching hires, it’s simply too early to paint a picture of what Sirianni will look like as a first-time head coach. Guys like Andy Reid and Doug Pederson were criticized relentlessly when they were first hired in Philly, whereas someone like Adam Gase was viewed as a “home run hire” when he landed with Miami in 2016.

The main “pro” when it comes to Sirianni is of course the work he’s done alongside Reich with the Colts over the last few seasons. The Colts EPA per play has never dipped below the league average, and finished 8th this past season upon Philip Rivers‘ arrival. Based around a healthy dosage of runs and calculated passes, the Colts were able to get the most out of a 39 year old Rivers in 2020, helping guide the team to an 11-5 finish.

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Additionally, the Colts have placed a premium on protecting their quarterbacks in recent years. Both Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett had career-low sack rates under Sirianni’s guidance, and Rivers’ was the second-lowest of his career this past season. Considering the fact that Carson Wentz was sacked 50 times in 2020, it’s definitely a worthwhile point of emphasis to consider.

Outside of Sirianni’s perceived offensive genius, there are some genuine concerns that hover above the hire. Sirianni didn’t call plays in Indy, he’s only 39 years old, and he likely wasn’t the Eagles first option. Like I mentioned previously, it’s impossible to “judge” a guy before he’s even coached a single practice, but there’s definitely some truth to this potentially being a *meh* type of hire.

With all of that said, there’s one major piece to the Sirianni hire that excites me. Forget scheme, age, or his connection to our lord and savior that is Frank Reich – Sirianni is the type of candidate who can rapidly get the Eagles back into contention.

For better or worse, the Philadelphia Eagles goal of “fixing” Carson Wentz pretty much dictates how their next couple of seasons play out. If Wentz is good again, the Eagles will win a lot of games and continue to be in the mix for postseason action. If Wentz continues to look like his 2020 self, the Eagles will completely bottom out and likely have to start over with a new quarterback.

Of all the candidates that the Eagles were still being linked to, Sirianni gives Wentz the best possible chance to succeed in 2021. Carson obviously played his best football operating under Frank Reich back in 2017, and Sirianni is the next best thing. He’ll be bringing with him an offensive philosophy that was directly molded by Reich; one that has been designed to stimulate strong QB play.

Now you can make the argument that “fixing” Wentz should not be at the top of the Eagles’ to-do list, and that the team should simply move on and commit to the likes of Jalen Hurts (or a new QB for that matter). That would’ve made hiring someone like Duce Staley a better longterm plan.

Whether you agree with the logic or not, the simple reality is that a Wentz-Sirianni partnership gives the Eagles a real chance at a quick turnaround. If the team’s offense resembles something similar to that of the 2020 Colts, they’ll have a pretty strong shot at winning the NFC East. Washington, Dallas, and New York are all so bad that an 9-7 Sirianni-led Eagles team could easily scoop the division title next season.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s way too soon to judge this hire. With that in mind though, my gut feeling is that the Philadelphia Eagles are now poised for a quicker “re-tool” period than we all expected. If Wentz and Sirianni click the way he and Reich did – we could be in store for some exciting offensive football moving forward (which is normally followed by lots of wins!).