Getty Image
The Philadelphia Eagles defense was, simply put, a disaster in 2023.
Somehow, it was even worse after head coach Nick Sirianni demoted first-year defensive coordinator Sean Desai in favor of Matt Patricia.
But now both are gone, and Sirianni is looking toward 2023 NFL head coach in hopes of fixing his defense.
Former #Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is interviewing with the #Eagles for their defensive coordinator position, per sources.
The last time Rivera was a DC, his 2010 Chargers led the league in total defense. pic.twitter.com/oZCDKb6nTc
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 22, 2024
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that former Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera has interview for the Eagles’ defensive coordinator job.
Rivera was once one of the league’s top defensive coordinators. He spent successful stints with both the (then) San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears.
But he hasn’t served in that role since 2010 with the Charges.
A lot has changed in the NFL since then and Rivera’s defense struggled mightily in 2023.
Though Jack Del Rio handled the play calling, the Commanders defense finished 31st in the league in DVOA in 2023.
That’s not great!
Washington ranked last in the league in points per game allowed with 30.5 That’s nearly four full points worse than the Arizona Cardinals in 31th (26.8 points).
And it wasn’t like the defense was routinely put in bad spots, either.
Washington also ranked last in yards per game allowed with 388.9. That’s 14.3 yards per game more than the Cincinnati Bengals in 31st.
Now, maybe Rivera could thrive with less on his plate.
He’d be free to call defensive plays in Philly and wouldn’t have to deal with the rest of the head coaching job.
But it’s certainly not an impressive thing to list on your resume.
Ron Rivera’s Washington teams since his arrival in 2020 have finished 4th, 27th, 10th and 31st (this past season) in defensive DVOA.
The Eagles finished two spots ahead of them this year at 29.
— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) January 22, 2024
His defenses haven’t always been bad in Washington. In fact, they ranked fourth and 10th respectively in DVOA in 2020 and 2022.
But the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league. And Rivera’s latest defense wasn’t just bad, it was putrid.
If he’s the hire, Eagles fans will certainly have plenty to say about the move.