Midway through the 2021 season, the Eagles shifted their offense to more of a run-heavy approach and found success with it.
The club finished 9-8, earning a postseason berth. And though Philadelphia wasn’t competitive in its playoff loss to Tampa Bay, the vibes have been good positive around the Eagles entering 2022.
Coordinator Shane Steichen was a significant part of that offensive surge last year and that should continue in the coming season. He noted during his Friday press conference that he took over much of the play-calling duties from head coach Nick Sirianni as last year went on. And now he will remain the primary play-caller on gameday.
“I think last year, we were a new staff and we were evolving as an offense. And so as the season got going on, I ended up taking over more of the play-calling midseason,” Steichen said. “And then, again, Nick has a stamp on every single thing we do. So in the meeting rooms, he has a stamp on everything we do. Every play that’s on that call sheet, he makes sure it’s justified and we’re good to go. So going forward, I’ll be calling the plays next year and we’ll go from there.”
Steichen said that while he’s relaying the plays to quarterback Jalen Hurts, calling them is a “complete group effort.”
“It starts with Nick as the head coach,” Steichen said. “He does a hell of a job game-planning and then we go from there. And on gameday, he’s the head coach. If he wants something called, he’ll tell me and I’ll get it called.”
It helps that Steichen and Sirianni think similarly from an offensive standpoint. Steichen said that goes back to their shared time coaching with the Chargers from 2014-2017.
"[O]bviously, we had a couple of years away,” Steichen said. “But the system and the terminology was the same. And so to be on the same page and think alike, it makes it really smooth.”
The Eagles finished last season No. 1 in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns but 25th in passing yards and 32nd in passing attempts. The club was 12th in points scored and 14th in total yards.