02 August 2023 , 19:04
588
0
The Philadelphia Eagles hope to return to the Super Bowl and lift the Lombardi Trophy in 2023 - and new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson is ready to lead Jalen Hurts to the promised land.
The Eagles offense will continue to evolve this season after Hurts played at the level of an MVP candidate to propel Philadelphia within touching distance of a championship. The balanced, explosive and efficient unit stepped up in a big way and returns all but two starters from 2022.
Philadelphia also added some pieces that bring exciting skillsets to the table, including running backs D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny as well as wide receIver Olamide Zaccheaus. However, some fans are concerned the franchise faces a drop off after losing both offensive and defensive coordinators, Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon, to vacant head coaching roles.
Johnson was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, and he will take over play-calling duties for Hurts and co. The 36-year-old has experience in the role from his time at the college level, so he feels confident in his abilities to have success in the NFL.
“My comfort level with calling plays is very, very comfortable in terms of seeing the game and being able to set different things up,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday. “But again, I think it just goes to what people may not often realise is a lot of that work is done during the week, and it’s always really, really collective with most staffs that I’ve been on in terms of breaking down the film and understanding all being on the same page of what we want to call in a particular situation.
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super Bowl
“For me, I’m excited for that challenge, excited for that opportunity.”
Johnson revealed head coach Nick Sirianni has utilised training camp to keep his players on their toes. Sirianni has set up specified periods where plays are unscheduled to make players and coaches react to the situation before them.
Jalen Hurts will lead the Philadelphia Eagles into 2023 after their Super Bowl LVII heartbreak (AP)“He’ll blurt out situations and you’ve got to be ready to go,” Johnson added. “To me, that’s not just on the practice field. That happens, same thing in the meeting room and team meetings. I think the organisation is set up in a way to where it helps you and gets you ready to go.”
Now he is calling the shots on offense, Johnson suggested he isn’t going to stray too far from the path that has proved to be successful for Philadelphia. Instead, he will focus on becoming as efficient as possible for Sirianni, adding: “I think the biggest thing is we’re always looking for ways to evolve. Not necessarily find a new way to do things, but find maybe a better way to do things. That’s under constant evaluation, whether it’s offseason, training camp, or even in season.
“For us as an offense, we’re always trying to find little wrinkles, little adjustments that we can have to make sure we’re getting the most out of what we have.”