This 'new' Eagles offensive scheme isn’t delivering the fireworks we expected

When the Eagles announced Kellen Moore as their new offensive coordinator, fans and analysts buzzed with excitement. The anticipation was that Moore’s play-calling would inject fresh life into the team’s offensive scheme, adding complexity and versatility that could help elevate Jalen Hurts' game.

Reports hinted at a more balanced attack featuring more pre-snap motion, throws over the middle, and plays under center. These changes, we were told, would address the limitations that exposed the Eagles to defensive schemes last season.

Yet, after the Eagles’ narrow win against the Browns, it's apparent that this offense is largely a continuation of what we’ve seen in past years. The so-called “new look” appears to be more of a slight rebranding rather than a true reimagining.

Preseason expectation: More motion and complexity are coming. So is more usage of the middle of the field on offense.

We were told this offense would have more pre-snap motion, more plays under center, and a focus on throws to the middle of the field — areas that would supposedly address previous shortcomings against the blitz. 

A.J. Brown’s role was highlighted as one that would benefit from these changes. But on Sunday, Brown’s routes showed little evidence of the promised revamp.

He ran the familiar go routes, slants, and deep in-breakers that have always been his forte. Surprisingly, the anticipated middle-of-the-field throws are still largely absent.

Reality: Limited mid-field targeting and minimal under-center plays are the norm.

Despite the preseason claims, Hurts’ attempts across the middle of the field remain rare.

So far this season, just 7% of his passes have been directed to the intermediate middle — a number barely above his previous averages and among the lowest in the league. Plays from under center? Those account for only 4% of his dropbacks, a marginal increase from previous seasons.

The one area where we’ve seen a change is pre-snap motion, used on 47% of Hurts’ dropbacks, a significant leap from last year. However, while pre-snap motion may look like innovation, it doesn’t alter the core concepts that drive this offense. It’s like giving old plays a new coat of paint.

Who’s offense is it? Is it Jalen Hurts' or Kellen Moore’s?

At its core, the Eagles’ offense remains a spread, shotgun-heavy scheme. It relies on wide formations, isolation routes, and half-field concepts to leverage Hurts’ mobility and the threat of run-pass options.

Familiar obstacles persist.

The idea of a new Eagles offense sounded exciting, but the reality has been underwhelming. Despite Kellen Moore’s influence, the offense looks like 95% of what we’ve seen in the past, still facing familiar issues when defenses adjust.

If the Eagles want to take their offense to the next level, they’ll need to introduce genuine change, not just cosmetic tweaks. Until then, this is still Hurts’ offense, and it will face the same challenges that have been evident in previous seasons.

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