Patriots OC Josh McDaniels reportedly interviewing for Eagles HC job

Patriots OC Josh McDaniels is a candidate for the head job in Philly.

Patriots fans have watched offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels leave town repeatedly over the course of the past decade plus.

In 2008, McDaniels bolted for Denver and had the pleasure (?) of helming a team led by Tim Tebow, a gimmick that was good enough for one exultant playoff win before the whole scheme came crashing down in (where else?) New England in primetime.

And nearly three years ago, McDaniels tried it again, only to renege on a reported promise to the Colts and (we thought) forever damage his head coaching prospects outside of the Patriots’ locker room. Surely Robert Kraft and Co. had offered McDaniels the head coach in waiting gig, right? Hence the reversal of fortune?

After two largely understaffed and disappointing seasons, though, it seems like McDaniels is getting another opportunity. The Eagles will reportedly interview McDaniels in Florida on Sunday at the home of owner Jeffrey Lurie, and the Pats might be forced once again to decide how highly they value him.

It would be disingenuous to call McDaniels’ offense feckless without Tom Brady, but the most recent years of evidence we have look less than impressive.

In Brady’s final season in New England, cursed with a flaccid group of weapons, McDaniels piloted the 15th-ranked passing offense (by DVOA), the worst mark since Matt Cassell’s appearance under center, as well as the 19th-ranked rushing game. This year, with Cam Newton in place and with a supposed increase in creativity to follow, the Pats finished sixth from the bottom in yards per game, and third from the bottom — behind even the New York Giants — in per-game passing yardage. The playbook was, quite simply, not opened up.

It’s safe to say that, if McDaniels obtains the Eagles job this time around, he’ll be saddled with turning around Carson Wentz, who remains an infatuation point of the team’s front office and somehow outlasted Doug Pederson.

Philadelphia is said to want to target a proven winner, though their interviews have been all over the map, even including Dallas guru Kellen Moore.

We’ll know much more about the result of this process by Sunday afternoon, though it’s hard to imagine Mr. Kraft isn’t scrambling at the moment.

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