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Newcomers drive Eagles' U-turn, Super Bowl return

Wed Feb 5 12:32pm ET
Field Level Media

NEW ORLEANS -- A former head coach with decades of experience, Vic Fangio flipped the Philadelphia defense from weakness to strength with a no-nonsense edge and Super Bowl standards.

"He has a standard of how it's supposed to look," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside before Philadelphia's first full practice of the week. "And he holds the guys to that standard. He's not afraid to tell guys when he thinks they don't meet that standard. He's been awesome. The way he's connected with the guys. He's been great on game day. He's meant a lot to this team. He's been awesome this year."

The Eagles rank first in total defense as the counterbalance to a running game that gained more than 3,000 yards.

Fangio and the Miami Dolphins split as Sirianni was searching for the right blend of play-callers on both sides of the ball. He also wanted to add energy and talent to the roster. Key additions of running back Saquon Barkley, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, linebacker Zack Baun, guard Mekhi Becton -- all at least in their fifth NFL season -- made the job easier.

Sirianni said Gardner-Johnson, in his second stint with the team after one season with the Detroit Lions, brings "endless energy." He also has a big impact on the team's turnover ratio. Gardner-Johnson led the Eagles with six interceptions, exactly the same as his team-leading total with Philadelphia in 2022, their last Super Bowl season.

More important, Sirianni said, was his instrumental role alongside 34-year-old cornerback Darius Slay in working overtime to keep first-round rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and second-round defensive back Cooper DeJean up to speed.

Neither ran into the so-called rookie wall, though Mitchell fought a shoulder injury in the playoffs. For safety Reed Blankenship, the defense's turnaround from 2023 to 2024 has been emotional.

"It was tough last year," Blankenship said of the Eagles' 26th-ranked defense and 31st-ranked pass defense in 2023. "It puts it into perspective. How you can make some changes here and there, believe in one another -- the sky's the limit.

"... I was a little teary-eyed after the (NFC) Championship Game. We've come so far. From last year to this year, it's a complete 360, and I couldn't be blessed enough."

No player has meant more in a move to complementary team football than Barkley. And he's showing no signs of slowing down. He has 66 carries for 442 yards -- 6.7 yards per carry -- with five touchdowns in three January playoff games. Kansas City has 57 carries for 185 yards and four TDs in two playoff games.

"When we talk about the game of football, you can't be great without the greatness of others. You're seeing Saquon be able to shine with the offensive line blocking for him, seeing Jalen (Hurts) with his ability to run," Sirianni said. "He's around all of these great players, great offensive line, and you are seeing him shine big-time. He's got himself in great shape. I don't hear the questions anymore that I got early in the year about 'can Saquon take this many carries in a game?' And the answer to that was, 'What we're going to try to do is win every single game.' And this year that meant a lot of carries for Saquon."

Hurts said he doesn't mind taking a step back for the team to achieve success, noting he "is not the one game-planning" or deciding how to approach an opponent. The team leader with 14 rushing touchdowns, Hurts threw 361 passes in the regular season -- down from 538 in 2023 and 460 in 2022.

"I've said it before, but we keep the main thing the main thing. Winning is the only motivation," Hurts said.

--Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Newcomers drive Eagles' U-turn, Super Bowl return

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