2. Dennard Wilson's coaching impact
In 2022, Wilson was the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Eagles as previously mentioned. The Eagles had arguably the top secondary in the league that year under Wilson's coaching. Of course, combine that with Jonathan Gannon's defensive scheme, the Eagles had the second best overall defense in the league that year.
In 2022, the Eagles had 17 interceptions (tied for third), allowed 6.4 yards per attempt (tied for second) and allowed the least amount of passing yards per game (171.6). Wilson was a finalist for the Eagles' defensive coordinator job before the start of 2023, but he ultimately didn't get the job and it looks like Philly made a mistake considering their DC debacle over the course of the season. Don't believe it? Here's Darius Slay saying the Eagles made a mistake by not hiring Wilson:
Darius Slay recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he wished Wilson would have been named DC after Gannon left last year.
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) January 25, 2024
“I think he would have made a lot of difference. He was loved by us. I thought, for sure, he should have stayed.”https://t.co/eYH68Wv4T2 https://t.co/DBJRcm65kP
In 2023, the Eagles went from a top passing defense to one of the league's worst. They dropped from first to 30th in the league in passing yards per game, posted only nine interceptions and allowed 35 passing touchdowns, second most in the league. Losing Wilson clearly left a huge void to fill for the Eagles.
Since joining Baltimore? The Ravens' secondary played lights out all year, including an All-Pro campaign from second-year safety Kyle Hamilton, a seven-interception year from Geno Stone and other standout players like Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Williams.
The Ravens in 2023 allowed the sixth-least passing yards per game with 193.1, 18 interceptions (tied second), a league-leading 5.9 yards per pass attempt and just a 60.6 percent completion rate. The Ravens secondary plays aggressive, fast and they fly to the ball. Wilson has clearly made an impact in that DBs room despite only being there for one season.