ClutchPoints
Why can’t Kevin Patullo just run a normal offense with the Philadelphia Eagles?
Initially joining Nick Sirianni’s staff in 2021 after working together with the Indianapolis Colts, Patullo has watched the offense shine under Shane Steichen, struggle under Brian Johnson, and then become a run-heavy juggernaut helmed by Kellen Moore and through it all, he’s seemingly take notes of what has worked, what hasn’t, and what he would do as an offensive coordinator should he be afforded a chance to call plays.
During the offseason, Sirianni clearly liked the pitch Patullo presented and opted to promote from within instead of targeting an outside option like Klint Kubiak, Bobby Slowik, or even one of his mentors, Doug Pederson or Frank Reich, who have both been fired from their post-Eagles head coaching opportunities. Sirianni and Patullo both said all of the right things during the offseason, and when preseason football began, the Eagles’ offense showed just enough to get fans hyped about all of the creative opportunities Philadelphia could have up its sleeve during the fall.
And yet, with 12 weeks of game film now available for fans and opposing teams to comb through, it’s hard to really understand what the Eagles are doing on offense, and not in a fun, Ben Johnson sort of way.
Some weeks, the Eagles seemingly forget how to throw the ball like against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. In other weeks, they got away from their usually effective run game, with the Birds recording less than 75 yards on the ground in their losses to the Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys. But in almost every single game this season, either for a quarter, a half, or even longer, the Eagles’ offense just seems to go silent, with one play failing to build off the one before it, and Brandon Mann forced to bail the team out with a deep punt.
Fortunately, in Week 13, the Eagles have drawn a Bears team that isn’t particularly good on the defensive side of the ball. While the Bears could put up points thanks to Johnson’s Vic Fangio-approved offense, the Eagles should be able to hang right up there with them all game long.
Through 12 weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Bears’ defense has been bad. How bad? Well, they rank 27th in points allowed, having surrendered three more points than they’ve scored, 21st against the pass, and 28th against the run, with an average of 5.2 yards surrendered per run play.
Now normally, the Eagles would see a rushing defensive number that low and lick their chops, as every Nick Sirianni team has been at least a top-10 rushing team in the NFL, but in 2025, they’ve really struggled to get much going on the ground, ranking 21st in rushing yards despite ranking eighth in rushing attempts.
How does a team...
