New defensive play-caller Matt Patricia may doom the Eagles' season
Things were looking okay for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night in Seattle. With 1:52 left to play, the Eagles led the Seahawks 17-13. Seattle got the ball at its own 8-yard line with just one timeout.
Quarterback Drew Lock — starting in place of the injured Geno Smith (groin) — got all the inspiration he needed from Philadelphia's new defensive play-caller, Matt Patricia.
Lock carved up the Eagles defense with the precision of a Hall-of-Fame quarterback, getting Seattle to Philadelphia's 29-yard line in just under 90 seconds without having to use the timeout.
On third-down-and-10 with Seattle's backs against the wall, Patricia gave Lock an early holiday gift. Cornerback James Bradberry was left one-on-one with wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who torched Bradberry and caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Lock.
A 20-17 win puts the Seahawks at 7-7, while the loss sends the Eagles to 10-4.
Philadelphia has already clinched a playoff berth and still has a very good chance of winning the NFC East. Given the defense's recent performance, however, the question begs to be asked: Is it worth it?
Sean Desai still holds the title of defensive coordinator, but was stripped of his play-calling duties after the Eagles surrendered 109 points over the last three games. Monday night was the first game with Patricia at the helm of the defense.
The former New England Patriots defensive coordinator and Detroit Lions head coach proved what every Bill Belichick disciple eventually proves: He was made to look talented by the players around him.
The 2019 departure of quarterback Tom Brady and the subsequent crumbling of the Patriots dynasty exposed a con job that has swept the NFL for two decades.
Legendary players on both sides of the ball — Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Tedy Bruschi and Vince Wilfork — achieved greatness on their own, allowing the likes of Patricia, Josh McDaniels and Joe Judge to further their careers by fancying themselves as gurus. Even Belichick's legacy has since come into question.
In 2020, Patricia claimed credit for "one of the biggest plays in the fourth quarter in the history of the NFL," referring to Malcolm Butler's end-zone interception that lifted the Patriots over the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Patricia had it backwards. While Butler made a great play, it was Seattle's unfathomable decision to throw a pass at the 1-yard line that led to the pick. By no means was it any stroke of genius on Patricia's part.
The latest team to fall for the trap of hiring one of Belichick's "geniuses" is Philadelphia. The Eagles have now lost three in a row and look extremely beatable.
They have their crumbling defense to thank for this position, and with a charlatan like Patricia now leading the way, there's no telling how low Philadelphia's D can go.
More must-reads: