Shane Steichen conquered winding road to become Eagles success story
It’s been a long and winding road for Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, one that eventually led to success.
When the Philadelphia Eagles hired first-time head coach Nick Sirianni to lead the franchise’s football team into the future, it was evident that his success would hinge on who his assistants were. His offensive coordinator wound up being another unknown, Shane Steichen.
As expected, there were growing pains. Sirianni’s social awkwardness made some skeptical. His O.C. wasn’t bubbling over with charisma either. The Eagles’ offense got off to a rough start. There were growing pains, but Coach Steichen helped work out the kinks.
While no one knows when the change began, Shane took over as Philadelphia’s full-time play-caller (a title he still holds). During an October presser a season ago, Coach Sirianni informed select members of the media that his O.C. would continue calling plays and that he was “confident in the process”.
The following week the Eagles traveled to Nevada to take on the Las Vegas Raiders. There appeared to be more of a focus on running the football, a philosophy Philly rode throughout the remainder of the season. A loss versus the Silver and Black resulted in a 2-5 record and a dip in Sirianni’s approval rating, but things turned.
A Week 8 victory in the Motor City versus the Detroit Lions on Halloween helped right the ship. A 7-3 run to finish the regular season resulted in a 9-8 record and a Wild Card berth. Things didn’t go as planned in the playoffs, but the Eagles had the best rushing attack in the NFL in 2021, being first in yards and touchdowns on the ground.
It’s no wonder that it was later announced in a June press conference that Shane Steichen would maintain his role as the primary play caller. He’s done well with his opportunity. How long can the Eagles hang on to him before another team attempts to poach him? That may wind up being the burning question, but while we toss theories about that around, how about a tip of the cap for this young man arriving in a good situation while following a rocky road to some recent success?