The Philadelphia Eagles' Offensive Woes: A Frustrating Tale
I'm here to talk about the Eagles' offense, and let me tell you, it's a story that will leave you scratching your head. Last week, I expressed my frustration, but this week, it's more than that; it's anger. The loss to the New York Giants was an offensive disaster, and rewatching it was downright disheartening.
This team has elite offensive talent, yet it's being held back by poor coaching, a lack of structure, and players who seem confused about their roles. It's a mess, and I'm here to break it down for you.
Offensive Struggles: A Tale of Missed Opportunities
The game started with a glimmer of hope. The Eagles finally remembered their pin-and-pull running play, and it worked beautifully. Cam Jurgens, pulling into space, looked much more comfortable than under center, where he's often exposed by bigger defensive tackles. It's a simple fix, but one that highlights his athleticism over brute force.
Barkley, as always, looked excellent, running with purpose and decisiveness. The idea that he's to blame for the run game's regression is absurd. The real issue lies with the coaches, and we'll delve into that shortly.
But here's where it gets controversial... The next drive summed up the team's offensive sequencing issues. They lined up in the same formation, ran the same play, and the Giants' linebackers easily diagnosed and stopped it. There's no unpredictability, no element of surprise. Imagine if they'd called a play-action pass here? It would've been an easy completion behind the linebackers. But no, the Eagles don't use play-action, and their offense is as predictable as it gets.
You can blame Jordan Mailata for a bad play, but it's tough on the offensive line when the defense knows what's coming. There's no flow, no rhythm, just a series of isolated plays.
And then there's the passing game. I'm at a loss for words. On a third-and-eight, the route concept is ineffective against any coverage, especially zone. No leverage, no spacing, and a late checkdown release from Barkley makes the play a non-starter. Who thought this one up? It's an embarrassment.
Hurts had a decent stat line (24-of-33 for 266 yards), but a few awful throws left a bitter taste. At times, he looked good, but the Eagles have the talent to shred single-high man coverage, yet well-coached teams don't play it often against them. It's a wonderful play, but it's not enough in today's game, especially without a run game to back it up.
Even when something works, it's frustrating. On a run play, the Eagles caught the Giants off guard with a quick snap, but the design was questionable. DeVonta Smith, a talented receiver, was used as a lead blocker behind the offensive line. Why? And why run towards A.J. Brown's side when he's shown little interest in run blocking all season? The coaches seem out of touch with their players' strengths.
Hurts looks most comfortable in empty sets, but the coaching staff rarely calls them. Empty sets simplify things, forcing the defense to declare coverage early. Against zone-heavy looks, it's an easy way to isolate receivers on linebackers. If teams are going to play a lot of zone, why not go heavy and put Brown and Smith in the slot? It would force more man coverage, and Hurts could thrive. Yet, they rarely use this strategy.
The red zone offense remains solid, with creative concepts inside the 20s. A clever underhand toss to Goedert was a fun design, but it's frustrating that this creativity is reserved for the red zone. Between the 20s, the offense is stagnant, with no layering, no play-action, and no building on previous success. It makes you wonder if there's a different staff member designing the red zone plays.
The next play was a perfect example of the design failures. The Eagles' obsession with using tight ends in key blocking roles has often led to blown plays. Here, they got A.J. Brown wide open on a slant, but the call to have tight end Cameron Latu block Abdul Carter, one of the best young edge rushers, on a split-zone play-action, was a disaster. This is the difference between good and bad offenses. You can't call plays that rely on tight ends blocking elite edges.
Out of structure, the offense looked better than recent weeks. Hurts made some strong throws on the move, but these moments were few and far between.
One of the most frustrating plays saw Hurts spend too long reading the right side against a zone look, with four defenders covering two routes. He needs to speed up and eliminate options quickly. I've seen him struggle with 2x2 concepts, yet the Eagles persist with them. Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith was wide open on the backside, but Hurts' eyes and Smith's awareness failed, leading to a missed connection.
Every once in a while, something clicked. The Eagles used motion to pull double coverage off A.J. Brown, freeing Goedert on a curl route against zone. Simple, effective, and a much-needed strategy. This is how you beat zone: with motion and spacing. Hurts can do it when the design helps him, but this kind of structure is rare.
The defining moment came when Hurts overthrew a wide-open DeVonta Smith on a busted coverage. Smith had nearly 10 yards of separation, but Hurts missed by several. It was a terrible miss. Smith was pushed inside early, but this was still a horrible throw. Hurts doesn't miss like this often, so let's hope it's an anomaly.
The play design continued to frustrate. Both tight ends stayed in to block, leaving only two routes and a checkdown against seven defenders. Hurts had no options. When the pressure didn't come, neither tight end released, leaving the quarterback with no answers. When they did release, they ran to the same area! This offense wastes eligible receivers, fearing a blitz that often doesn't come.
The Eagles have abandoned using Hurts as a runner, which is baffling. The Giants didn't respect the possibility, and their linebackers crashed inside. Having a mobile quarterback should give you an advantage, but Hurts just handed it off. Another wasted run opportunity.
On the topic of the run game, I want to address another issue. The Eagles finally ran QB Counter Bash, but Hurts lost 2 yards. It's not just about the result; it's about consistency. If a play is successful, why not run it again? Later, they used 6 offensive linemen and gained 6 yards. Why call these plays once? It makes no sense.
The interception was a miserable end to a miserable performance. The pick came on an out route to Jahan Dotson, a throw Hurts left behind, straight into the cornerback's arms. A.J. Brown was wide open across the middle, but that doesn't necessarily mean Hurts made the wrong read. The Giants showed a single-high safety pre-snap, usually indicating cover one, and in that look, the out route is the correct read. The issue was a disguised cover-zero blitz, which Hurts didn't have time to pick up. He did what the play design told him, but made a poor throw.
The bigger issue was pre-snap. The Eagles broke the huddle with only seven seconds on the play clock, giving the defense time to disguise pressure. The formation was tight, the motion meaningless, and the play design offered no flexibility. This rigidity and predictability is a larger problem. It's not just a bad throw; it's bad structure, tempo, and design. Hurts isn't blameless, but these flaws are systemic.
A Troubling Offense: No Identity, No Rhythm, No Creativity
This offense is tough to watch. Hurts looks unsettled at times, and the timing and rhythm that defined his game are gone. The offensive philosophy is the real concern, as it feels like it's built in Nick Sirianni's image. I don't see an easy fix. The staff believes in their approach, despite weekly failures. The play designs are part of a larger issue, including the plays called and sequencing. A change of playcaller might be warranted.
The run game should be an easy fix. They're using unnecessary complexities instead of calling concepts that fit their personnel. No gap schemes, no QB involvement, and no play-action sequencing. It's predictable, and every defense knows what's coming. It shouldn't be this hard.
The Eagles are 4-2 with talent, but it means little if they keep wasting it. This offense is broken because it lacks identity, rhythm, and creativity. The design is poor, the execution worse, and the coaching staff seems out of ideas. It's just bad football.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the assessment? Is there hope for improvement, or is a major overhaul needed? Let's discuss in the comments!
