Crossing Broad
The Philadelphia Eagles fell short of their goal to repeat as Super Bowl Champions, and it didn’t take long for the takes to start flying. While the first order of business will be replacing Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator, there’s plenty of conversation about quarterback Jalen Hurts.
As resident bossman Kevin Kinkead pointed out, there oftentimes is too much made about the OC conversation. Nick Sirianni has evolved into a CEO-style of head coach, but he is an offensive-minded coach by trade and has claimed responsibility for the offensive design whenever he has been asked. Among Sirianni’s best traits is his willingness to fall on the sword and accept responsibility for anything that occurs with this Eagles team, even when this is not fully the case. But to a certain extent, you have to allow him to get his wish.
The real root of these frustrations is that Jalen Hurts has always had his doubters and haters who are not entirely sold that he is the guy. There are plenty of talking heads nationally and fans within the city that still have not been won over by his level of play, despite Hurts winning Super Bowl MVP, having a 57-25 record as a starter, and the Eagles never missing the playoffs with him as the quarterback.
This is not to say that Hurts is perfect, but no quarterback is. The 27-year-old was not good enough this regular season, nor in the lone postseason game. But he certainly has been in the past, and this has to count for something.
The Eagles made quick work of announcing that Patullo would not be back as offensive coordinator and that they will be looking for a new voice to speak into the quarterback’s headset next year. Fair or not, the collective mindset of the fan base has been made up, deciding that Patullo deserves the biggest slice of the blame pie, and the organization seemingly agreed.
Without diving into the breakdowns of the specific play calls, hitch routes, or usage of the middle of the field, the job of a coach is to maximize the players and put them in positions to succeed.
Any way you slice it this season, it was a massive failure from Patullo and the rest of the Eagles’ staff. This is not exclusive to Hurts, with players like A.J. Brown and Saquon Barkley each also performing below their individual standards. Brown also was not quiet about his frustrations with the offense in a way Hurts would never be caught saying, even if reading between the lines can paint the picture:
Any conversations about Hurts limiting an offense should be wholeheartedly rejected. The Eagles can (and have) run an elite offense with him at the helm. The Eagles can be, and have been, a Super Bowl-caliber team with Hurts as the quarterback. It’s also more than just a throwaway note that Hurts has been at his best in both Super Bowl appearances and outplayed Patrick Mahomes in each.
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