Blogging The Boys
Another year, another coordinator. That’s how it’s been lately for the Eagles. After falling short against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, it was Shane Steichen who left for the Colts head coaching job. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni promoted from within, elevating quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson to the position.
A year later, Johnson was out. The offense had faltered, and the relationship between Sirianni and Jalen Hurts had reportedly deteriorated to the point where they weren’t speaking regularly. In came Kellen Moore, who had no ties to Sirianni and thus brought a fresh perspective. It clearly worked, as the Eagles won the Super Bowl, fittingly against said Chiefs.
However, just like the last time they reached the big game, Moore left for a head coaching job. That marks the fourth different offensive coordinator in as many years for Philadelphia. Rather than going outside the building again, as Sirianni did with Moore, they promoted pass game coordinator Kevin Patullo.
A member of the Eagles coaching staff since Sirianni’s first year on the job, who also worked alongside the head coach with the Colts before that, Patullo will call plays for the first time this Thursday when the Eagles kick off their season at home against the Cowboys.
Of course, we shouldn’t be expecting any major changes. Even Moore didn’t overhaul the offense last year, instead adding a few new flavors to an already established playbook. That’s because the Eagles know exactly who they are on offense, especially after signing Saquon Barkley in free agency last year.
This team’s offensive identity is built around the run game.
Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland has consistently put forth elite offensive lines that pave the road for whomever, and putting Barkley back there was the equivalent of strapping a rocket engine to a Lamborghini. Hurts’ physical running ability adds an extra dimension, too, and this offense is at its best when it’s using option plays early and often.
Hurts also has a great receiving tandem in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, along with Dallas Goedert at tight end, to throw to. When Steichen was in town, Hurts thrived on a robust package of RPO’s and play-action passing concepts. With Moore, an expansion of option routes gave more leeway to Brown and Smith to take what the defense was giving them.
So what will change with Patullo?
Philosophically, Patullo is a disciple of former Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey, under whom he coached with the Chiefs, Bills, and Jets. Gailey’s offenses were predicated on the quick game: he built his passing attack on quick hitters, timing-based concepts, and made extensive use of RPO’s in his latter years. He loved play-action, and often used it for situational deep shots.
Sound familiar? Patullo was a piece of the puzzle in building this Eagles offense alongside Sirianni and Steichen, finding ways to make things easier on Hurts while also taking advantage of his best assets. That background likely indicates a return to some of those staples of the...
