The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense, led by coordinator Kevin Patullo, is facing mounting criticism for its predictable play-calling and lack of motivation. Despite boasting elite talent like Saquon Barkley, the unit has failed to consistently dominate, raising questions about scheme utilization and red-zone efficiency.
Greg Cosell’s analysis highlights systemic issues, from stagnant formations to misused personnel, leaving players visibly frustrated. With Barkley’s touches fluctuating and route concepts growing repetitive, opponents are exploiting the Eagles’ one-dimensional tendencies.
As the Super Bowl hangover lingers, Philadelphia must rediscover its offensive identity—or risk wasting another season of championship-caliber talent.
- Kevin Patullo’s offense faces criticism for predictability, with players like A.J. Brown expressing frustration over stagnant playcalling, despite consistent involvement in games.
- Red zone inefficiency and underutilization of star talent (e.g., Saquon Barkley) highlight schematic flaws, as noted by analysts like Greg Cosell.
- The Eagles’ post-Super Bowl complacency may be contributing to a lack of urgency in play design, with opponents exploiting repetitive tendencies.
Why is Kevin Patullo’s Eagles offense so predictable?
The Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive struggles under coordinator Kevin Patullo have become a glaring issue this season. Critics point to the unit’s lack of creativity, with opponents frequently anticipating play calls before the snap. Star receiver A.J. Brown’s cryptic social media posts after the Bucs loss hinted at frustration with the offensive direction, though he later clarified it wasn’t directed at any individual.
Through nine games, the Eagles rank in the bottom third of the league in pre-snap motion usage (18%) and play-action percentage (22%). Defenses are keying in on these tendencies, with linebacker Darius Leonard recently saying: “You can tell when they’re running versus passing based on personnel groupings.”
Red zone predictability
Philadelphia’s red zone efficiency has plummeted from 68% (2nd in NFL) in 2024 to just 52% this season. The most glaring issue comes in 12 personnel (1RB, 2TE) formations inside the 20-yard line:
| Formation | Play Type | Usage % |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Personnel | Run | 73% |
| 12 Personnel | Play Action | 18% |
| 12 Personnel | Dropback | 9% |
Is Saquon Barkley being wasted in this system?
The $14M-per-year running back has been alarmingly ineffective between the tackles, averaging just 3.1 YPC on inside zone runs. Yet Patullo continues calling these plays at a 62% rate when Barkley’s on the field. What makes this baffling is Barkley’s success when used creatively:
- 5.4 YPC on outside tosses
- 83% catch rate when split wide
- 14.3 yards per screen reception
Where are the explosive plays for Jalen Hurts?
Hurts has seen his air yards per attempt drop from 8.9 (2024) to 6.3 this season. The once-dynamic QB is attempting fewer deep shots than any starter except Mac Jones. This appears directly tied to:
- Reduced pre-snap motion (down 30% from last season)
- Predictable protection schemes
- Lack of crossing route concepts
Can this offense be fixed mid-season?
History suggests complete scheme overhauls rarely work mid-campaign, but three adjustments could provide immediate relief:
- Implement 20% more motion at snap
- Increase no-huddle usage (currently 28th in NFL)
- Design 5-7 plays per game specifically attacking DB leverage
Is Kevin Patullo’s job in danger?
Head coach Nick Sirianni has publicly backed his OC, but NFL history shows patience wears thin when elite talent underperforms. Key factors working against Patullo:
- 17% drop in offensive DVOA
- Star players’ visible frustration
- Upcoming schedule featuring 4 top-10 defenses
Interestingly, former NFL QB Trent Dilfer noted: “When an offense this talented struggles this badly, it’s almost always about concept diversity rather than execution.” The next three weeks against Dallas, Kansas City and Baltimore will likely determine Patullo’s fate.
Why aren’t the Eagles using more play-action?
Despite having the league’s 4th-best play-action QB (Hurts’ 112.3 rating), the Eagles use it on just 22% of dropbacks (24th in NFL). This puzzling reluctance comes despite:
- Effective run game (4.6 YPC team average)
- Elite pass-catching RBs
- Pro Bowl caliber tackles
Patullo’s playcalling is offensive… literally. How do you have AJ Brown and Saquon and still manage to be this predictable? Fire up the film room, this is embarrassing. 🤦♂️
Brown literally had a 7-yard game last week. Maybe it’s not just the playcalling?
Nah, it’s 100% scheme. Remember when he publicly vented about touches? This org loves wasting talent.
Hot take: The Super Bowl hangover is REAL. They got paid, got rings, now they’re running vanilla plays like it’s preseason. Where’s the urgency?
Y’all blaming Patullo but Hurts has missed wide-open reads all season. QB1 regressing hard and nobody wants to admit it.
Facts. That Rams game was brutal – dude stared down receivers like he forgot how to scan the field.
Eagles OC when the playbook says ‘run up the middle on 1st down’ for the 47th time: 👨🍳💋
At least we’re not the Chiefs lol. 0-3 in close games? Mahomes looking human is the real storyline of 2025.
True, but Chiefs lost to us in the SB. We’re just… worse now.
NFL scriptwriters got lazy after the Eagles won. League needs new villains.