Chiefs-Eagles 5 questions with the enemy: 4 offensive coordinators in 4 seasons?

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs host the Philadelphia Eagles. We welcome site manager Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation — our sister SB Nation site covering the Eagles — for Five Questions with the Enemy*.*

1. Is it worrisome that the Eagles are now on their fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons?

I don’t think it’s ideal but offensive coordinator stability is the exception and not the norm in today’s NFL. The longest-tenured offensive coordinators in the NFL were hired in 2022. Three of those four don’t call plays and the one who does (Mike Kafka) has gone on and off as a play-caller.

If a team has a good OC, they typically get hired to be a head coach elsewhere. If a team has a bad OC, they typically don’t have a very long leash (see: the Eagles firing Brian Johnson after 2023).

Given this reality, having a play-calling head coach seems ideal. But that’s obviously not the setup in Philly. Nick Sirianni called plays for several games in 2021 before relinquishing that duty to Shane Steichen, who was hired away by the Colts after the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. Kellen Moore was hired away by the Saints after the Eagles’ Super Bowl win over the Chiefs.

Current OC Kevin Patullo could very well be in line for a head coaching job if the Eagles are really successful again this season. If not, he could meet a similar fate to Brian Johnson. Patullo showed some promise early in Week 1 before the Eagles’ offense went cold in the second half.

To this point in time, it’s hard to argue the OC changes have been a major hindrance to Eagles success. Sirianni is ultimately 49-20 in the regular season (fifth-best winning percentage of any NFL head coach ever) and 6-3 in the playoffs with two Super Bowl appearances since he was hired in 2021.

Stability would be nice. But I don’t think it’s ever really going to happen unless the Eagles can find the offensive version of Vic Fangio.

2. What did you like best about Philadelphia’s performance in the season opener against Dallas?

Jalen Hurts’ Week 1 performance was pretty encouraging. If you take away three throwaways and one drop, he was 19/19 as a passer. He consistently made good decisions as both a passer and a runner. With the Cowboys playing a soft zone, he remained patient and took what the defense was giving them. When it was time to unleash a deep shot to Jahan Dotson, his throw was right on the money. I’m feeling good about Hurts entering Week 2 — especially since he didn’t even need to rely on A.J. Brown, who only had one target (on Hurts’ final passing atttempt) to have a good game. Brown will undoubtedly be more involved moving forward.

That the Eagles won in Week 1 —...