PHILADELPHIA — Kevin Patullo says he isn’t fazed by the heat of the bright lights. In his first season as offensive coordinator, the longtime assistant is living the reality of being the man in the arena — every play call dissected, every stalled drive magnified, every loss scrutinized.
He arrived here with head coach Nick Sirianni in 2021 and has been instrumental in the development of quarterback Jalen Hurts, but this year he’s receiving all sorts of new attention.
“I would say it’s not that much different,” Patullo, wearing the brim of his cap down as usual, said Tuesday at NovaCare Complex. “When we step outside the building, obviously that can be different. But when we’re in here, we’re all in here together and it’s a fun challenge. I love my job, just like we all do, and we want to win, and we’ll do anything we have to to win the game.”
The glare was there from the start, when the Eagles’ offense looked uneven in the season opener against Dallas in which top wideout A.J. Brown wasn’t targeted until the fourth quarter. The noise has only grown louder in recent weeks as the Birds (4-2) dropped back-to-back games to the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.
Over that spell, the Eagles scored just 17 points each game and were 3-for-21 on third down. A once-formidable attack that averaged 27.2 points last season has struggled to sustain drives, run the ball with Saquon Barkley and impose its will on defenses.
“Third-and-seven-plus in the NFL is tough,” Patullo said. “The defense is dictating to you at that point. We’ve got to try to stay ahead of that, and that’s what’s got us in these modes a little bit at times to not be as efficient as we could be.”
The Eagles repeatedly fell behind the sticks in the 34-17 loss in the Meadowlands and in the second half against Denver. Poor first- and second-down execution left Hurts facing long fields, allowing opponents to unleash simulated pressures and bracket top playmakers Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Partly because of these scenarios, “predictable” has been a word tossed around a lot about the Eagles’ offense, including from within their own locker room. They are almost always in shotgun or pistol — rarely under center, which would more effectively set up timing routes and play action — and they’re often in condensed, two-by-two sets with familiar route trees on those third-and-seven-pluses.
Also, Hurts continues to show a resistance to throwing the ball between the hashes. Field vision has been an issue. So has scheme and pocket trust with a banged-up offensive line. And the QB has been extra risk-averse regarding interceptions since October of last season.
Patullo said communication with players like Hurts, Brown, Smith and right tackle Lane Johnson has been “constant,” with productive meetings since last Thursday’s loss. “They have a good feel for what’s going on, what they feel physically and mentally,” he said. “Communication is a big piece of it, and it comes with good and bad feedback. That’s where it’s critical for all of us to grow as an offensive unit.”
The run game remains another pressure point. While Barkley and Hurts have flashed in spurts, the Eagles have averaged 3.9 yards per carry over the last three weeks. Patullo said he’d “like to increase” the volume on the ground and push defenses more physically. “When you’re in phase and on schedule, you’re able to do that,” he said. “When you’re not, it gets tricky.”
Meanwhile, as the team prepares to face Minnesota on Sunday, Patullo is trying to ignore the outside noise and focus on the job at hand, keeping his hat and head down.
Fangio sorting through defensive depth issues
The turbulence hasn’t been limited to offense. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is navigating sudden personnel gaps after veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith surprised the staff by stepping away from football this week. Smith was playing 20–25 snaps per game.
“I was surprised when Howie came in and told me,” Fangio said, referencing general manager Howie Roseman. “But you always respect a guy’s personal decisions. We’ll have to absorb those snaps up with the rest of the guys and we’ll make it work.”
Philadelphia has leaned on Jalyx Hunt, Joshua Uche, Moro Ojomo and Patrick Johnson, but depth is thin up front, especially with Nolan Smith (triceps) still on IR and Jalen Carter’s health up-and-down. Fangio didn’t rule out flexibility with linebackers Jihaad Campbell and Zack Baun sliding to the edge if needed. When asked if reaching out to the retired Brandon Graham had been discussed, Fangio replied: “Not to my knowledge.”
The secondary also remains in flux. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell left the Giants game with a hamstring injury, and Fangio would only say “that remains to be seen” regarding his Week 7 availability. Veteran Adoree’ Jackson and third-year corner Kelee Ringo shared increased snaps after Mitchell’s exit. Fangio admitted Ringo “just got beat down the field” in a few key moments.
“We’ve got to settle in and find somebody out there that we can rely on,” Fangio said. “I think we have the guys that can do that, we just got to get them playing better.”
Opponents have converted nearly 48 percent of their third downs during the last three weeks, exploiting chunk plays through the air and quarterback scrambles.
The potential return of inside backer Nakobe Dean, who logged special teams snaps in his first game back from knee surgery, could give Fangio more flexibility to mix fronts and packages. Nickel Cooper DeJean could also get snaps on the outside, and versatile rookie DB Mac McWilliams could see a larger role.
Special teams woes
Kicking and punting have been good, though there have been some coverage lapses, but special teams coordinator Michael Clay was blunt about why the Eagles have struggled in the kick return game: catch mechanics. (In other words, basic football.) Tank Bigsby has mishandled multiple kicks, including against the Giants, putting the offense in poor field position.
“When we don’t corral the ball, that gives us issues and it puts the team in a terrible situation with field position,” Clay said. “But when we do it correctly, we’ve shown we can get past the 30.”
As running back Will Shipley (oblique) continues to get healthier, he may see more time in the return game, which was the original plan this year.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.
Source: Berkshire mont
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