Something is brewing in the Philadelphia Eagles' locker room. It has the subtle aroma of a late-season collapse, a familiar scent for any longtime NFL fan. It starts not with a bang, but with muttered frustrations and pointed comments. The reigning champs are suddenly looking less like champions and more like a team searching for an identity.
The swagger is missing, replaced by a palpable tension that even a reported players-only meeting couldn't dissolve. It feels like the calm before the storm, or perhaps, the first few drops of rain on a losing streak. And then, the thunderclap arrived.
Lane Johnson Points Fingers While Jalen Hurts Counters
Following a dismal 34-17 loss to the Giants in Week 6, veteran tackle Lane Johnson blasted the offense’s predictability. He stated, “We have things that we talk about, and then a lot of it goes out there, and the execution isn't there. We get behind the chains, I get very predictable.” While Johnson pointed a finger at himself first, this also seemed like a direct shot at the play-calling of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Why, you ask.
"I feel like we've been very stagnant offensively and we put the defense in the bind really past two, three weeks," Johnson added. The dam of internal discontent had officially broken. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, however, quickly stepped in as the floodgate.
He offered a starkly different perspective when asked about predictability. Hurts deflected, saying, “You don’t look at it that way—not as a quarterback. You know, you got so many opportunities in the game to take advantage of it.” It was a public shield for his coach. Hurts threw a strategic block for Patullo, saving his coordinator from taking the full brunt of the criticism.
And this feels ironic, especially if we take into account Hurts' actions and comments after the Rams game. The stats, however, tell a brutal truth.
The Eagles were a dismal 1-of-9 on third down against the Giants. They have been outgained in every single game this season. Moreover, they have now abandoned the run in back-to-back losses, with Saquon Barkley getting only 12 carries despite a strong start. The offense's second-half performances have been particularly anemic, scoring only 14 total points in the last three games after halftime. Hence, the evidence of a broken system is mounting.
Even the team's attempts to fix things are creating more drama. Reports of a clear-the-air meeting between Hurts, Barkley, and A.J. Brown were confirmed by the quarterback and running back. Brown, however, later claimed he didn't "recall a meeting." This bizarre contradiction adds another layer of dysfunction. It begs the question: is everyone on the same page, or is this offense reading from different playbooks?
A Critical Crossroads for the Eagles
The mini-bye week offers a chance for recalibration. Patullo is undoubtedly on the hot seat. His offense lacks the creativity and balance that defined the Eagles' Super Bowl run. The over-reliance on passing and the abandonment of an effective ground game is a recipe for failure. It’s like a baseball team refusing to bunt or steal; you become easy to defend. The coaching staff must find a way to blend its weapons more effectively.
Hurts’s leadership in defending Patullo is a double-edged sword. It shows he has his coordinator’s back, which is vital for unity. However, it also places the responsibility for improvement squarely on their collective shoulders. If the offense doesn’t show immediate signs of life against the Vikings, the calls for change will become a roar that not even a franchise quarterback can quiet. The shield he provided will only hold for so long.
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The Philadelphia Eagles stand at a familiar precipice. The ghost of their 2023 late-season meltdown is starting to whisper. The path forward requires more than just talent; it demands harmony between the plays called and the players executing them. The season is far from lost, but the margin for error has vanished. And in the end, a team’s character is revealed not when things are easy, but when the wheels start to come off.