PHILADELPHIA (94WIP Sportsradio) — Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has been highly scrutinized by Philadelphia fans and media since he was hired by Nick Sirianni before the 2021 season.
While the now 13-2 Eagles have had an excellent season defensively, Gannon is once again receiving heat for a 40-34 loss to the Cowboys. The Cowboys are now averaging 37 points per game in four games against the Gannon-led Eagles defense.
In an interview with Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Team on Tuesday, Sirianni again defended his defensive coordinator.
"I have a ton of faith in Jonathan Gannon," Sirianni said. "He keeps answering the bell. I know there's scrutiny on him, especially on your show, of if he's a good coordinator or not. And he is most definitely a great coordinator who is giving us a chance, helping us develop the defense.
"I stand on the table for him and I am convicted in Jonathan Gannon," he continued. "I know how good of a football coach he is. I know how high of a demand he'll be this off-season. I know how high of a demand he was when we got him here as a coach. I love him. He'll rebound from a tough game that we have as a defense, that we had as an offense. We will completely, as a team, rebound from this."
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was 24-24 for 300 yards and three touchdowns against "zone" coverage in Sunday's win over the Eagles, including a highly improbable 3rd and 30 first-down completion to T.Y. Hilton.
Sirianni broke it down: "So we're in a cover-2 zone defense right there and so what happens there on that one, is [Darius] Slay is responsible for the flat and then Josiah [Scott] is responsible for the deep pass. They maxed out their protection and made it hard for us to get home on that one. And Dak threw a perfect ball, T.Y. Hilton probably made the perfect catch and we didn't make the play.
"Again, why didn't we make the play? Josiah has to make that play in that scenario, yeah no doubt. Again, we're going to all want plays back from that game. I want plays back from that game. There were plays where I came out saying that wasn't good enough coaching, I said that a lot. And Josiah is going to want that play back.
"Then again, we've got to teach the guys exactly what the job description is and how to accomplish that play. It's always going to be, we're always in this thing together. Our guys don't make a play, we take that hard. ... When you're going through a game and going through a season like that, lock step, arm and arm ... that's what builds teams and that's what bonds teams, because you know you're all in it together.
"We all wish we would have had that play back. Who knows what would have happened from that play, but not one play ever defines what happens in a game."