Cowboys Killers: Did Eagles Just Hire Dallas-Beating Coaches In Kellen & Fangio?
FRISCO - The conventional wisdom works: The Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff in 2023 was a jittery mess, maybe because the head coach Nick Sirianni allows his emotions to rule his sideline.
So as a fix? The Eagles make Vic Fangio, 65, their new steady-handed defensive coordinator. And then make Kellen Moore, now 35 but still viewed as a "boy genius,'' their offensive coordinator.
There are many X-and-O's reasons to justify the moves. But there is also a Dallas Cowboys-centric bit of wisdom as well.
Moore's credentials: Before parting ways with Dallas a year ago, he was the co-architect of a Cowboys offense that perennially ranked in the top five in the NFL.
Fangio's credentials: He is the long-time teacher of the sort of defense Philly wants to run, and has used disciples of Fangio's to do so. Instead, here, they hire the teacher.
But a deeper look: Fangio vs. Dallas coach Mike McCarthy.
In this year's Dolphins win over Dallas, when Fangio’s Miami unit held Dallas to under 100 team rushing yards, sacked Dak Prescott four times, allowed just four third-down conversions and held down the Cowboys in a 22-20 win
As Denver's head coach in 2021, Fangio’s Broncos shocked the Cowboys in a 30-16 win ... after leading 30-0 score. Dallas came into that game 6-1 and got crushed.
In 2022, Fangio worked as a consultant for the Eagles. Philadelphia beat Dallas by a 26-17 score early by intercepting three passes by Cowboys backup Cooper Rush, in for an injured Prescott. (Dallas later avenged that loss with a 40-34 late-season win.)
So in a way, Fangio is "3-1'' against McCarthy.
Now factor in Kellen, who knows Dallas inside and out and will have whatever amount of "revenge'' he chooses to be fueled by ... and it certainly looks as if the Eagles had the Cowboys in mind when making these hires.
There is a flip side to this, of course. If Fangio and Kellen know the tendencies of the Dallas staff, the Dallas staff should know theirs in an equivalent way.
After that humiliation against the Broncos, McCarthy said, “Frankly, we were out-coached.”
For Dallas and Philly in 2024, one team or the other having to make that admission figures as an NFC East key.
