It's hard to point to just one thing that ended the Philadelphia Eagles' short run of dominance, but the lack of defensive efficiency was certainly a part of it. While the offense was struggling to find points, the defense was struggling to stop points from being scored.
That's a recipe for disaster, especially late in the season. The Eagles eventually were exposed and embarrassed for what they really were in their playoff game, mercifully ending their 2023-24 campaign.
After a confusing demotion and redistribution of power in the middle of the season, defensive coordinator Sean Desai has officially been fired. Now the Birds are turning to a former division foe as a potential candidate to take over.
Former #Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is interviewing with the #Eagles for their defensive coordinator position, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 22, 2024
The last time Rivera was a DC, his 2010 Chargers led the league in total defense. pic.twitter.com/oZCDKb6nTc
Eagles to interview Ron Rivera for open DC position
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting the Eagles will be interviewing Ron Rivera for the defensive coordinator vacancy. Rivera has been the head coach of the Washington Commanders for the last 4 seasons, holding a record of 26-40.
Before that, he was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, where he once coached a 15-1 team to a Super Bowl appearance. Long before that, he was also linebackers coach under then-Eagles HC Andy Reid. Owner Jeffrey Lurie has spoken highly about Rivera since his departure.
Jeffrey Lurie on Ron Rivera in 2020: "He's a family member of ours. Stephanie and my wife play golf together, and Ron is somebody I really respect... He's a high-quality person in every sense of the word..." https://t.co/2Ly5DsVmZP
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) January 22, 2024
As you can see from Fowler, his last stint as a defensive coordinator went very well, overseeing the league's best defense, the San Diego Chargers, in 2010-11.
Now, Rivera needs a change, and the Eagles need to improve. A demotion in title for Rivera might lead to much more success for him and the Birds by combining forces. Quite frankly, it'd be hard to get any worse than the defense is now.
In other Eagles news: