The Eagles offense is still running the same under-center game and separate shotgun passing game, and honestly, it’s gotten worse. I’m telling you, I’m furious this week. It feels like I’m writing the exact same article all over again, and nothing has changed for Philly, except things got even messier. Last week, it was clear they couldn’t keep doing the same old thing, and the biggest problem was pass protection. Well, guess what? Nothing changed, and it just got worse. Yeah, some folks out there want to scream that Jalen Hurts is the problem, that he flat-out sucks. And look, he didn’t play well, there were definitely plays he deserves heat for. But after charting all 12 third downs, I’m only putting primary blame on him for one. Just one! The rest? Missed protections, awful spacing, receivers who couldn’t get open, and situations that were a dumpster fire before the snap even happened. The injuries are real too; Lane Johnson, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert were all out, and Saquon Barkley left early. Nobody expects this group to look like a top-five offense. But I expect the coaches to give these guys a fighting chance, and right now, Nick Sirianni and Sean Mannion are failing to do that way too often. It’s frustrating as hell.
Hurts Is Uncomfortable, But Is He The Problem?
Let’s dig into that one third down where Hurts truly needed to deliver. The pocket was clean enough, and a receiver was breaking right over the middle. He just had to make the throw. You create so few opportunities for this offense right now, you absolutely cannot waste them. For me, Hurts looks genuinely uncomfortable out there, and that’s a legit critique of his play these days. We can acknowledge all the chaos around him, all the problems that aren’t his fault, but we still have to expect him to execute when the structure actually gives him an answer. You simply gotta have that one, man. When the protection holds and a target is open, you gotta hit it. The fact that he seemed hesitant there, even with a clean look, screams volumes about the overall state of things. It’s not all on him, not by a long shot, but that moment was his to seize.
Running Game Shows Flashes, But Never Enough
Now, it wasn’t all bad. The running game actually had some decent moments. Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley were not the reason this offense imploded, plain and simple. There were individual blocks that absolutely deserved praise. Markel Bell had a tough debut, no shocker given the circumstances, but you saw his size and strength in there, didn’t you? Phew, there’s definitely something to work with there, you can see it. I also gotta give a shoutout to Makai Lemon for blocking that safety. That kind of contribution from a receiver is huge, especially when you’re trying to open up any kind of running room beyond the defensive line. I’m not gonna sit here and pretend like absolutely nothing went right. The real kick to the gut is that these good moments, these flashes of a running game, never developed into anything substantial enough to make the passing game easier, or even complementary. It’s just disconnected.
The frustration is boiling over because the problems are obvious, and the solutions feel so out of reach. If Sirianni and Mannion don’t start making some substantial changes to how they’re running this offense, giving these players a legitimate scheme to work with, it’s gonna be a long, tough season. They’ve got to find a way to protect Hurts better, create separation for receivers, and let the running game actually impact the passing game. There has to be a cohesive plan, or things will just keep getting worse.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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