Another game, another terrible second half performance by the Philadelphia Eagles' offense, resulting in a 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card game and eliminating them from the playoffs.
Just 114 yards and six points in the second half certainly didn't help the Eagles get going. One of the few bright spots to the unit, though, was running back Saquon Barkley, who finished with 106 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards in the loss.
Barkley spoke with the media after the game, discussing the offense's struggles. He pointed out that it was like Groundhog Day for the Eagles, as it has been the central theme of their season.
"It's been a common theme for us this year," Barkley said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "We haven't done a good enough job of playing complete football, putting two halves together. Sometimes, you get into this moment and (think) we'll just figure this out. And it just caught up to it. It's been the same thing all year."
Saquon Barkley simply speaking the truth on what's happened all season
The number one person to blame for the Eagles' offensive struggles this season, and for the 49ers game, has to be the offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo. It has been the talk within the fan base since the game ended, as the evidence keeps piling up for grounds to fire him.
From predictable play-calling to a lack of consistent flow in the game, Patullo was never able to get 100% comfortable in his job. While he's very good at game planning, he's horrible at making second half adjustments to help the offense be more creative within the game plan he originally developed.
Barkley has been the biggest victim of Patullo's lack of awareness in running the offense. Too many times, when the defense knows a run is coming on first down, Patullo still makes Barkley run it, and there are two to three defenders in the backfield ready to wrap him up. He has never stood a chance in this offense.
Read more: A.J. Brown just did what Eagles fans expected him to do after devastating loss
Everyone is calling for Patullo to be fired, and there is enough justification for it since he has simply not done his job well enough, with the team having the worst statistical season under Nick Sirianni as head coach. Eagles fans can only hope that change will come for the franchise, benefiting their top offensive player in 2026.