Jim Johnson, defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, has died at the age of 68. Johnson was responsible for the tough defenses that the Eagles brought out on the field during his tenure as the defensive coordinator. Eagles head coach Andy Reid hired Johnson to be the defensive coordinator, and the defense looked like the defense of the early 1990s. The Eagles made the playoffs in seven of the ten seasons he was leading the defense and made five appearances in the NFC Championship game and one Super Bowl appearance. Johnson coached the Eagles defense to their 2008 playoff run when they beat the top seeded New York Giants and lost to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game. That was his last game.
This is a huge loss for the Eagles football team and for all of football. Johnson has showed that his defensive schemes worked. It helped out the Eagles, who became a very aggressive unit under his command and constantly were among the top in major defensive categories. The Eagles were forces in the NFC East every season and made it hard for the Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins to contend for an NFC East title. The only thing Johnson wasn't able to get in his time there was a Super Bowl ring, as they lost in their only opportunity to the New England Patriots in 2005.
As a fan of the Giants, Johnson and the Eagles defense constantly frustrated me as the Eagles would always get the better of the Giants this decade. Johnson frustrated a lot of teams with their aggressive style of play. Sean McDermott was already announced as the new defensive coordinator and he will not match the legacy Johnson left. The Eagles defense could struggle in his command because he may not be as aggressive as Johnson.
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