Sean Desai explains why Eagles' turnaround is coming ahead of Seahawks matchup
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense is not as good as their 10-3 record says they are. The Eagles currently rank 28th in pass defense, first downs and points allowed. They sit at 22nd in sacks per play and last in stopping third downs. They're 30th in red zone defense and 31st in interceptions. They've also dropped […]
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense is not as good as their 10-3 record says they are.
The Eagles currently rank 28th in pass defense, first downs and points allowed. They sit at 22nd in sacks per play and last in stopping third downs. They're 30th in red zone defense and 31st in interceptions. They've also dropped from first to eighth in run defense since the star of the season.
Defensive coordinator Sean Desai isn't naive as to where his defense stands in these categories at this point in the season.
“I think it's just we have been inopportune,” Desai said during his press conference on Wednesday. “We have not been able to get off the field when we need to get off the field. Yeah, in third down and situational football we got to be better, third down, red zone. Those have been our bugaboos. Not going to lie to you. That's been our Achilles' heel right now.”
The Eagles' defense was embarrassingly exposed during their back-to-back losses and if changes don't start happening quickly, then they're going to be in trouble.
Despite their endless defensive woes, Desai remains confident that a turnaround is one the way as soon as Monday night when the Eagles face the Seattle Seahawks.
“I know the people in the building,” Desai said. “I know the culture we have, the staff that we have, the leaders we have on defense. Everybody is excited about the opportunity that we have ahead of us.
“The cool thing is we have every goal still to be reached ahead of us. We have to really lean into that. We learn from our past. The good and the bad in the past. Then we have to move forward and own all of our responsibilities and roles and go master them.”
Of course, actions speak louder than words, however, the Eagles' defense should have a better opportunity to bounce back this week against a Seattle offense that has struggled over their last four matchups and ranks 20th overall.
It also helps that Desai is familiar with the Seahawks after spending last season coaching under Pete Carroll.
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