Eagles’ Offense a Jekyll-and-Hyde Mystery: What’s Really Going On in Philly?
The Philadelphia Eagles are 4-0, but it doesn’t feel like it. On paper, this should be the league’s most explosive unit. Ten of 11 starters returned from last year’s Super Bowl run. Jalen Hurts is in his fifth season as the franchise quarterback. Saquon Barkley is coming off an historic 2,000-yard season. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith form one of the best receiver tandems in football. Dallas Goedert remains a top-tier tight end. The offensive line, though banged up, is still anchored by All-Pros. Continuity like this almost never happens in the NFL.
Yet, through four games, the Eagles’ offense has been the definition of feast or famine. One half, they look unstoppable. The next, they look broken.
A Tale of Two Offenses
It would almost make sense if the struggles were just about Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo being a first-time play caller. You could imagine the early growing pains of an offense trying to find its rhythm. But you could also imagine an offense this experienced steamrolling opponents from Week 1, no matter who’s calling plays.
Instead, the Eagles have been both at once dominant and dysfunctional in the very same game.
- Week 3 vs. Rams: -1 net passing yards in the first half, 203 in the second half.
- Week 4 vs. Bucs: 130 passing yards in the first half, -18 in the second half.
Jalen Hurts went 0-for-8 in the second half at Tampa Bay. Zero completions. With Barkley, Brown, Smith, and Goedert at his disposal, that’s unfathomable. According to NFL Research, Hurts became just the second QB since at least 1991 to attempt eight or more passes in a half and finish with zero passing yards in a win – the first was Jake Delhomme back in 2008. That’s the company he kept on Sunday. To be fair there is speculation that Hurts may have been concussed or at a minimum, shaken up after he took a vicious hit when sliding after a scramble in the third quarter. Hurts did not complete a pass after he took that hit.
The Eagles have been outgained in every game this year despite winning all of them. That’s amazing but not sustainable.
Saquon Barkley: Bottled Up
The running game might be even a bigger concern than the passing attack. Barkley hasn’t been himself whether because of blocking issues, defensive focus, or both.
- Week 1 vs Dallas: 88 yards
- Week 2 vs Kansas City: 60 yards
- Week 3 vs L.A. Rams: 46 yards
- Week 4 vs Tampa Bay: 43 yards
That’s a steady decline, with his yards per carry dropping to 3.1. to put that into perspective this time last year he had 435 yards on 73 carries (6.0 YPC). Now? 237 yards on 77 carries. Nearly three fewer yards per carry.
And the home-run plays? Gone. Barkley had 17 runs of 20+ yards last season – about one per game. He has zero so far in 2025.
The offensive line hasn’t helped. Landon Dickerson looks hobbled. Cam Jurgens is being asked to do things he isn’t built for. Lane Johnson has been in and out of the lineup. Tyler Steen is playing on a bad knee. The rotations have killed cohesion, and defenses are clearly scheming to suffocate Barkley at the line of scrimmage.
A.J. Brown’s Frustration Runneth Over
What should be a juggernaut often behaves like it’s playing a half against itself and now, A.J. Brown’s cryptic post, after another quiet game has raised more questions than answers.
After the Week 4 win over Tampa, Brown posted a biblical verse to social media—Mark 6:11:
“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
He also earlier posted, “I Love yall with all My heart ❤️🩹.”
Taken together, it reads like a subtle message of frustration or alienation. Brown was targeted nine times in Sunday’s game (the most of any Eagle), yet caught just 2 passes for 7 yards.
Coach Nick Sirianni was asked about Monday at his day after press conference and affirmed Brown’s continued commitment to the team and importance to the offense:
“Obviously, A.J. is very important to this football team. I know he wants to contribute … I question nothing about his desire to play great football, his desire to be a good teammate, his desire to be here.”
Sirianni also said he speaks to Brown daily but declined to share any details of their conversations.
Still, in a team with deep offensive weapons, Brown’s tweet is a red flag. It suggests he may feel underutilized, unheard, or overlooked and it’s not the first time he’s displayed his frustration publicly.
The OC
It would almost make sense if the offense’s uneven play were chalked up to growing pains under new play-caller Kevin Patullo. You could imagine a slow start, some low-scoring games, an offense trying to find its identity.
But you could also imagine, given all the returns, experience, and talent, that this unit would hit the ground running – first time OC or not.
Instead, we’ve seen both versions in the same game.
Core Weaknesses
The offense performs brilliantly in one half, then vanishes in the other because the play calling lacks consisent creativity and excecution is spotty at best.
- Hurts going 0-of-8 in a half is indefensible for this supporting cast.
- Barkley is being suppressed—no splash runs, low efficiency.
- The line is broken in spots, lacking fluidity and trust.
- Receivers are not consistently winning separation.
- Brown’s scripture post hints at internal friction.
The Eagles are winning when the offense clicks. But it hasn’t clicked enough and now their best player is casting doubt, publicly, in subtle or not so subtle terms.
Can this be fixed? Of course. We saw it get fixed just last season. Since that disastrous loss in Tamap a year ago the Birds are an unheard of 20-1 including a Super Bowl ring. They have the talent and experience. But the next few weeks will tell whether the offense can find stability or whether these cryptic cues signal deeper dysfunction.
This is a team that swings from unstoppable to unwatchable with no in-between.
Nick Sirianni isn’t wrong when he says blame goes around. His quarterback had this to say after the win in Tampa on Sunday.
“You guys may look at the record and be a hound for negativity…but regardless of where you are, when you’re just early in the season, you’re still searching to try and elevate and play to a standard of execution.”
Fair enough. The Eagles are 4-0. They’ve beaten the Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams, and Bucs – their toughest stretch of the season. They’ve protected the football and have owned the turnover and special teams battles. They’ve found ways to win.
But there’s a difference between being unbeaten and being unbeatable. Right now, the Eagles are the both. Time will tell how long both will last.
Xavier Tillman is ready to roll after disappointing season
After a challenging year, Xavier Tillman entered today’s Media Day as something of an afterthought in the Celtics’ front court rotation.
Following an impressive stint after being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies and playing a key role in the Celtics’ championship run, Tillman was rewarded with a two-year contract last offseason. The expectation was for him to take on an even larger role the following year. However, a summer knee surgery combined with inconsistent performances led to the most disappointing season of his five-year career.
He clearly didn’t look like the same player particularly on the defensive end, but seeing and hearing him today should make fans very hopeful that those days are in the past.
In an interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Marc D’Amico, Kayla Burton, and Drew Carter, Tillman was asked how he envisions his role evolving this season. He began by highlighting a few changes he made over the summer that he believes will benefit him going forward.
“One: I lost twelve pounds just through dieting,” he said, a transformation that was immediately noticeable when he sat down on set. “Consistency is the thing that I’ve come to learn,” Tillman added, explaining that cutting out foods like “the pizzas, and the chicken wings, and the fries and the pops... you just throw them all in the trash” has helped him achieve what he referred to as his “new dad bod.”
Tillman noted that after sticking with his dietary changes, he not only feels better overall, but also finds his mornings much easier to navigate. “My knees feel fantastic,” when he’s cutting, and jumping, perhaps a subtle indication that they didn’t always feel that way last season. This healthy feeling has allowed him to train a lot harder this summer, putting in work six days a week.
When asked if his new physique would fit in with the Celtics potentially playing at a faster pace this season, Tillman responded without hesitation: “1,000%.”
Since returning to the team facility, he’s noticed a dramatic improvement in his conditioning, especially with the way the Celtics big men have been operating at what he described as “warp speed.”
Shifting to the offensive side of the ball, Tillman was asked about the social media clips showing him working on his jump shot. “My confidence level is even higher than it was last year,” he said, emphasizing that he no longer needs the perfect setup to take a shot.
“If it touches my hands and there’s space, I’m going to let it go.” He attributed his rise in confidence to the amount of reps he’s put in in workouts. He explained that the team empowers him and is hype when he attempts threes. Reflecting on a key moment, he pointed to the clutch corner three he hit in the 2024 Finals saying, “That was one of the best experiences that I’ve had.” Seeing the reaction from all his teammates was amazing for him.
Tillman’s knee issues were a major reason he didn’t look like himself last season. Now that he both looks and feels great, I’m feeling a bit more optimistic about his chances of returning to championship form.
