The Philadelphia Eagles are the most frustrating team in the NFL to watch right now.
The only team that seemingly can beat the Eagles is the Eagles themselves, and after four weeks of winning in unorthodox ways, they are now doing just that. In Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia was shut out in the second half and blew a 14-point lead within less than six minutes of the fourth quarter.
But even with the Eagles finally getting burned, absolutely nobody was prepared for what happened at MetLife Stadium on Thursday Night Football.
Despite escaping the jaws of defeat four times before and narrowly losing to the Broncos, they were absolutely steamrolled by the New York Giants with the entire nation watching.
Think about that for a second: The New York Giants STEAMROLLED the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Birds are 29th in yards per game with 274.5 and dead last in three-and-outs with a whopping 47 percent of their drives. They are also 4-2 and atop the NFC East. This alone almost perfectly encapsulates their season so far.
This team retained ten of eleven starters from last year’s Super Bowl team, but they haven’t even remotely resembled that offense. The seeming inconsistency in philosophy is what should be, and is sounding alarms around the city.
Six weeks into the season, teams shouldn’t be expected to have truly found themselves yet. However, they should at least have a direction, and this offense even lacks that.
This poses the big question: What in the world has happened to their identity?
Bad play calling loses games
It’s time to start finding Kevin Patullo responsible for the offensive struggles.
The criticisms surrounding his name, whether fair or unfair to the first-year offensive coordinator, are valid. Play calling is the biggest issue with this offense.
Philadelphia’s offense looked pretty good at first. The 31st-ranked passing game finally seemed to come alive in the first half as Jalen Hurts had over 200 passing yards in a half for the first time since 2023. A touchdown drive in the third quarter gave the Eagles a comfortable 14-point lead.
Patullo found a way to blow it.
The Eagles ran 24 offensive plays in the second half, and 23 of them were pass plays. Saquon Barkley, the running back who just set the record for most rushing yards in a single season, had just six carries for 30 yards in the entirety of the game and one singular carry in the second half.
Instead of sticking to the former identity of the Eagles’ offense and running the ball, Patullo called pass plays. That is not an execution issue – It’s a clear playcalling issue.
The best offensive coordinators don’t call plays. They call the game. They know how to get the offense into a flow, keep it flowing, and change things up when the flow gets disrupted. Patullo has not done any of these things thus far.
Patullo’s issues start at the top
While Patullo should be held accountable for his deficiencies, he can’t get 100 percent of the blame because he’s a rookie, and the guy who chose him to lead this unit is an offensive mind himself.
The Eagles have had four different offensive coordinators in the last four seasons. They constantly have leadership changes on this side of the ball, but Nick Sirianni is the one constant in all of them.
Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore controlled the offenses in 2022 and 2024, respectively. They were experienced coordinators and led highly efficient offenses that were at the top of the league in scoring and yards, and the bottom of the league in turnovers and three-and-outs.
Brian Johnson took charge of the offense in 2023. It was his first time as a coordinator, and he led a less efficient offense. They were at the bottom of the league in turnovers despite being seventh in scoring.
The difference between the 2023 Eagles and the other two could be that he couldn’t supply the guidance and assistance necessary for a first-time coordinator to be positioned for success. It sure seemed that way back then, and it appears to be the case right now.
It also should be noted that Sirianni gave up playcalling duties after a 2-5 start to the 2021 season, and after Steichen began calling plays, they won seven of their last ten games and clinched a playoff berth. He completely relinquished control over the offense the next season, and three OCs later, he still hasn’t taken it back.
He’s got plenty of time to get Patullo and this once great offense back in shape, but history tells us that’s not a likely scenario. Every game without an experienced offensive coordinator makes it clearer why he let go of offensive control.
The trenches aren’t what they used to be
Remember the days of Barkley breaking off big runs untouched multiple times a game? How about Hurts having so much time in the pocket that he had a whopping ten seconds to throw in a wild card playoff game?
Cherish them, Eagles fans. Because those days are OVER.
For the first time in Hurts’ career, the offensive line has significant issues, and it starts with the injuries.
All-pro left guard Landon Dickerson is still dealing with the meniscus injury he suffered in training camp, as well as an ankle injury he picked up in Week 5.
Dickerson specifically has been a huge problem for this team, as he is the faithful protector of Hurts’ blindside and the main lead blocker for run plays. But he has not been alone on the injury report. Lane Johnson and Cam Jurgens have also dealt with stinger injuries to their backs, and the latter’s required surgery.
The right guard position has also been problematic on this line. When Mekhi Becton left for Los Angeles, they assumed they had the next man up in Tyler Steen. But Steen has struggled with injury problems of his own, and he hasn’t quite filled the shoes of his predecessor even when he’s played.
Does the playcalling and lack of a sufficient passing game also contribute to the offensive line’s performance? Of course it does. Becton’s departure, the loss of some depth and the injuries all play a role in the line’s struggles.
But the simple fact is this is not the same historic O-line from last year. This is a massive problem for a team whose identity was historically based in the trenches.
Wait, isn’t winning the Eagles’ true identity?
Technically, it is, for now. But ultimately, it is until it isn’t.
Winning is never truly a part of a team’s identity. Consistent winning is not guaranteed in the NFL, even if you’ve won 20 straight games like Hurts’ Eagles. It might be in the identity of Philly’s core pieces, but the reality is that teams change a lot year-to-year.
The 2025 Eagles do not get to leach off the 2024 Eagles’ reputation of greatness. Last year, they knew exactly who they were and what they needed to do to dominate games in every aspect.
If the current Eagles want that greatness, they’re gonna have to earn it. They can start by showing that this offense understands what they need to do week-to-week to give them the best chance at winning.
Getting back to their old ways might be the solution, but without trench dominance, it could possibly be time for the Eagles to search for a new identity. That is for Patullo and Sirianni to figure out.
Until then, this offense ought to get comfortable at the bottom of the league. Because the Eagles’ offensive identity crisis is currently in full effect, and it will continue without significant change.
Deshaun Clayborne Media 
Leave a comment