Eagles’ Offense Is Stuck in Neutral - And the Play Calling Isn’t Helping
The Philadelphia Eagles are 8-4, but don’t let the record fool you - the offense is sputtering, and it’s not just about execution. Despite a roster loaded with top-tier talent, including A.J.
Brown and Saquon Barkley, the reigning Super Bowl champs are failing to get the most out of their stars. And the numbers are starting to tell a pretty frustrating story.
Let’s start with the basics: this offense has weapons. Brown is one of the most physically dominant wideouts in the league.
Barkley, when healthy, is a game-breaker. Jalen Hurts has proven himself as a dual-threat quarterback who can punish defenses in multiple ways.
But the system they’re running? It’s not doing these guys any favors.
The Scheme Is Holding Philly Back
According to recently surfaced advanced metrics, the Eagles' offensive approach under coordinator Kevin Patullo and head coach Nick Sirianni is among the least creative in the league. And that’s not just a subjective take - the data backs it up.
Philadelphia ranks in the bottom five in pre-snap motion usage, and they’re 31st in play-action rate. That’s not just surprising - it’s borderline alarming.
In today’s NFL, motion and play-action aren’t just bells and whistles. They’re core tools to manipulate defenses, create mismatches, and open up the field for quarterbacks.
The best offenses lean into these concepts. The Eagles?
They’re barely touching them.
And it gets worse. Philly leads the league in hitch routes - short, stationary patterns that rely on timing and rhythm.
They also run the fewest crossing routes in the NFL, which are traditionally great man-beaters and help create separation for receivers like Brown and DeVonta Smith. When you combine that with a lack of motion and play-action, you get a passing game that feels static and predictable.
Jalen Hurts Needs More Help From the Sideline
Putting Hurts in the pocket and asking him to win from largely static alignments isn’t playing to his strengths. He’s at his best when the offense is moving - when he’s on the move, when the defense is off balance, when he can use his legs as both a threat and a decoy.
But right now, the scheme is boxing him in. And while he’s good enough to make plays anyway, it’s not a sustainable path for offensive success.
That was evident in the Eagles’ 24-15 loss to the Bears on Black Friday. Chicago’s defense didn’t just beat Philly - they looked like they knew what was coming.
Bears edge rusher Austin Booker even questioned Saquon Barkley’s competitive fire after the game. Whether that’s fair or not, it reflects a broader concern: the Eagles offense isn’t playing with the edge or urgency we’ve come to expect.
The Offensive Line Is Still Solid - So Use It
One area that’s still holding up? The offensive line.
It may not be the dominant, bulldozing unit of years past, but it's still one of the league’s better groups. According to PFF, the Eagles rank top-five in pass protection and 12th in run blocking.
That’s more than enough to build a functional offense around.
But defenses are starting to sniff out the game plan. They’re stacking the box to slow down Barkley.
They’re daring Hurts to beat them with deep shots outside the numbers - and while Brown and Smith are capable of winning those matchups, that can’t be the only answer. Hitches and go routes aren’t enough when you’re facing aggressive, blitz-heavy defenses.
Time for Adjustments - Before It’s Too Late
The fix here isn’t rocket science. More motion.
More play-action. More crossing routes to punish man coverage.
More horizontal stress to open up space in the run game. These are basic offensive principles in today’s NFL, and the Eagles have the personnel to execute them at a high level.
The question is whether Patullo and Sirianni are willing to make those adjustments. Maybe the 8-4 record is masking some of the underlying issues.
Maybe the coaching staff is too close to the situation to see what’s obvious from the outside. But if this offense keeps rolling out the same stale approach, it’s going to cost them - especially come playoff time.
There’s still time to right the ship. The talent is there.
The line is solid. The quarterback is tough and dynamic.
But the scheme? That’s the piece that has to evolve - and fast.