Sean Mannion’s vision for the Eagles offense is coming into sharper focus: ‘Confident and excited for Week 1′
Mannion discussed his decision to call plays from the coaching box, as opposed to down on the field.
At the outset of the offseason program in April, Sean Mannion began to install the foundation of the Eagles offense, a brand new scheme from a first-time coordinator.
Those early days, Mannion said Thursday, feel like “ancient history” compared to where the team is now.
He said it jokingly, but acknowledged what has felt like eons between now — just four days before his first regular-season game as a play-caller — and then is a reflection of the work that Eagles staff and players have put into learning the scheme.
The group started with the foundation of the offense in the spring, then added one layer after the other, gradually incorporating different wrinkles and adjustments. Mannion said he is satisfied with the progression, leaving him feeling like the team is in a “great position” heading into Week 1 against the Washington Commanders.
“There’s been so much work, and we’re working relentlessly, and ultimately that builds your confidence, knowing that I’ve spent hours and hours and hours thinking about the plan, preparing the plan, preparing the players,” Mannion said. “I feel confident and excited for Week 1.”
After installing the broader offense throughout the offseason program and training camp, Mannion will narrow the game plan to a more select menu. The Eagles offensive coordinator’s desire to put the players in the best position to succeed helps inform how to pare down the offense.
He has spent the last five months evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of his personnel. Mannion has built what he calls a “library” of plays since April, which includes new plays and familiar ones from past Eagles offenses.
As he game plans, he’s pulling different books from the shelves, so to speak, of the Eagles’ vast library of plays. Part of his consideration in selecting plays also includes a study of the Eagles’ opponent to determine how to best attack them.
That aspect of the preparation is shrouded in mystery, as the Commanders have a new defensive coordinator in Daronte Jones, who spent the last four years with the Minnesota Vikings as defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. Mannion is familiar with the Brian Flores-led Vikings defense, as he played in Minnesota briefly in 2023 (Flores’ first season as defensive coordinator) and coached against him twice a year with the Green Bay Packers for the last two seasons.
Whether or not the Commanders take on more of a Vikings flavor, Mannion said he will be prepared for anything the defense throws at them.
“We’ve really used this extra practice time, kind of the bonus week, to our advantage,” Mannion said. “We want to be ready for everything. … And like any opponent, whether it’s a new coordinator into Week 1 with new wrinkles, or if it’s a first-time coordinator at a place, you’re always ready to adjust in-game, and we have contingencies laid out for different things we might be anticipating.”
Mannion will make those hypothetical adjustments from the coaching box. He experienced calling plays from both the box and the sideline during the preseason and the public practice at Lincoln Financial Field during training camp. He ultimately decided it was the “best decision” for the team to call the game upstairs.
While there are pros and cons to either location, Mannion acknowledged he has more space in the box to operate. Plus, he called the point of view “unique” given the higher vantage point up top.
He even went through the long list of play-callers he had as a player, or worked with as a coach, and tallied up their in-game location. Mannion said it was almost 50-50.
“If there was one thing as I was thinking it through, I realized, you know what?” Mannion said. “There’s plenty of great play callers who have done it from either spot.”
Jalen Hurts said on Wednesday that he hasn’t had a play-caller sit in the box since he was in college. Still, he emphasized that he would support Mannion in his decision, even if his communication with his offensive coordinator between drives might be altered given his location.
Mannion noted that one of the advantages of calling plays from the box is his ability to talk to each of his staff members at any time, instead of being fixed in one place and speaking to them individually. Then, his staff members can quickly disseminate information to their respective position groups.
“I think really more than anything, it speaks to [quarterbacks coach] Parks [Frazier], he does a great job with Jalen every day,” Mannion said. “I’m in constant communication with him and all of our position coaches, and then it allows for, I think, everybody to coach their units, and I can kind of survey from up top and distribute information from there, and they take it the rest of the way.”
Mannion has praised the work of the staff and the players as they have learned a new offense. Come Sunday, the details that defined the last five months — from designing the offense, to planning meetings and practice schedules, to teaching the offense, to executing in practice — will come to fruition on the field.
Is there an aspect of the job that keeps Mannion up at night? As he reflected on his work over the last five months, he showed he looks at his myriad responsibilities from a perspective of gratitude.
“Those are the things that you love about coaching,” Mannion said. “There’s so many different elements to it, but football’s a beautiful game because they all come together. I stay awake thinking about that, but I wouldn’t say it keeps me awake. It’s the enjoyable part for me. That’s what I love about it.”
The regular season is almost here! All the preseason talk has been about Jalen Hurts and new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. But there’s somebody else who will have a big say in how high the Eagles fly. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane explains why this year, in the absence of traded star A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith has to take the next step, while also taking charge of the Eagles’ wide receivers group. Plus, Jeff dips into the mailbag for listener questions about Jalen Hurts and some key roster spots. Listen here.
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