Three Faults within the Eagles Tethered Offense

It is no secret that the Philadelphia Eagles' production is nowhere near the offensive dominance fans saw last season, despite almost all of their starters returning. The once high-flying offense is struggling to find rhythm, and only the rumors of poor chemistry are left soaring. Week after week, fans are left frustrated by the inefficient performances that do not resemble the same team that took home the Lombardi Trophy last February. So what’s the big issue with the offense? The decline can be traced back to at least three major faults: predictability, inexplosiveness, and inconsistency.

Predictability 

The most glaring issue Philadelphia faces this season, as also stated by Lane Johnson and many analysts, is the predictability of offensive schemes. Opposing defenses can often read the Eagles' intentions almost as soon as the offense lines up. In shotgun formations, it is a pass attempt 80% of the time. Under center? The team runs the ball 85% of plays. How about in pistol? A run is called 74% of the time. Compounding that issue is the run game that rarely strays from Saquon Barkley heading straight up the middle, giving defenses little inclination to hesitate. Play-calling has become mechanical, boring, and formulaic, with motion used on just about 25% of plays and play-action featured on less than 21%. Without forcing the defense to think or adjust, they have plenty of time to anticipate and execute. The result of the predictability has been stunted drives, a low rate of third-down conversions, few big plays, and an offense that doesn’t threaten its opponents. 

Inexplosiveness 

Another major component of the disappointing Eagles offense this season is their inability to generate explosive plays. The run game has been highly ineffective, with Barkley averaging less than four yards per carry and the team averaging less than 100 rushing yards per game. This limits the team’s ability to bait opponents with the run to turn to longer, explosive passes, which is fundamental to the game of football. Jalen Hurts has been criticized over his passing abilities, and though it has been picking up, it’s not nearly as effective as it needs to be. Hurts is averaging only 6.4 yards per pass attempt, and 68% of his throws are for under 10 yards. 

The offensive line is a bit banged up, but it has generally fared well in pass protection, so the issue isn’t largely due to his time in the pocket. Instead, Philadelphia has not been exploiting favorable matchups with its two receivers, who rank among the league's best duos. During the Eagles' Super Bowl run last year, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith frequently turned these matchups into explosive, game-changing plays. This year, however, they haven’t been finding that same success. 

For example, against the Broncos, Brown lined up in the slot and burned safety Talanoa Hufanga, only to be wide open and overthrown. Despite the result, exploiting the matchup could have produced a huge gain that would have been far less likely if he had lined up against cornerback Pat Surtain. In the next game, Smith had a similar opportunity when he was wide open against Giants corner Cor’Dale Flott, which could have resulted in an 89-yard touchdown. Though Hurts missed both of his targets, the point remains: the explosive plays are available when they exploit favorable matchups—the offense simply needs to capitalize and execute.

Inconsistency 

Last, but certainly not least of the Eagles' offensive struggles in the 2025 campaign, is the inconsistency throughout games. Every week, Philadelphia seems to play two entirely different games within the same sixty minutes. In one half, they look like defending champions, and in the next, like a team that can’t move the ball at all. Has the Super Bowl hangover caught up to them after all? The pattern emerged early in the season with messy victories that masked the deeper issues. Then, when they scored only one touchdown between the two second halves of Weeks Five and Six, it became even harder to ignore. The pattern seems to have turned into a habit, one that must be fixed if they expect another deep postseason run. The lack of identity when it comes to putting a complete game together is what has plagued them all season. When the offense builds momentum early on, it fades just as quickly as it started, and when they start slow, they won’t always have enough time to recover. The dramatic swings between being bullied and flashing dominance reveal an unsustainable rhythm from quarter to quarter and game to game. 

The Path Forward

The Eagles are much too talented and experienced to look this stagnant on offense. Until they fix the recurring issues of predictability, inexplosiveness, and inconsistency, the results won't match the potential embedded in the roster. Many fans are perpetually pointing fingers at the play-calling of Kevin Patullo, the new offensive coordinator, but it’s not certain that he should be swept away just yet. The flashes of greatness are there; perhaps the issue is more about mentality and cohesion than play design. Yes, the plays seem mechanical as of now, but we have also seen the creativity within the playbook. More importantly, however, the Eagles must reestablish their chemistry and revive their firepower to withstand four full quarters of a game—two crucial aspects that separate champions from ordinary contenders. The challenge moving forward is to find a way to rediscover rhythm, sustain pressure, and capitalize on their explosive opportunities. Philadelphia’s offense has all the tools to find success, but at some point, potential has to turn into production.