For months, Philadelphia Eagles fans have been calling for more quarterback-designed runs with Jalen Hurts from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Still, recent reports share more details on why that hasn't happened.
Two Eagles reporters over the weekend mentioned that Hurts asked before the season to reduce the number of quarterback-designed runs, as there were concerns about him getting hurt late in the season from those plays. When asked by ESPN's Tim McManus about the reduced rushing attempts for Hurts, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was all about making sure they protect their quarterback.
"We're always thinking about how to protect Jalen and make sure that he is healthy for the long haul. Different plans have different reasons of why you run different things, and like I said, we will do everything we need to do to help this offense get rolling. Jalen's talented in running the ball. He is talented in also holding the backside when he doesn't run the football, so a lot of different ways to do that. Again, always looking at everything and how we can improve."
Is the lack of QB runs by Hurts hurting the offense?
It's pretty clear in the stats that Hurts isn't getting the number of runs he had in the previous season. This year, he's had 84 attempts, compared to 150 last year. He's on pace to have 119 attempts, which would be the lowest of his NFL career as the full-time starting quarterback going back to 2021.
Hurts not running the ball has also done significant damage to the running game compared to the last few years. The Eagles are 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards this season, averaging 108.5 yards per game. Last year, they were second with 179.3 rushing yards per game.
Yes, the offensive line being banged up and not playing as well plays a role in this, but defenses can use this information and no longer be afraid of quarterback runs, since Hurts doesn't want to do them. This can be eliminated from defensive game plans, and the focus can be on other aspects.
Patullo has been taking a ton of criticism for not showing much creativity in his offense. It's hard to have that when the quarterback is holding him back from truly doing that.
Read more: Nick Sirianni is ready to evaluate Eagles' offense (except where fans want change)
When Hurts faces the media, he might have a lot to answer to after these reports.