In the aftermath of the Philadelphia Eagles” disappointing 23-19 wild-card playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, former Eagles center and current NFL analyst Jason Kelce has shared his insights. While many fans have directed their frustrations at offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and head coach Nick Sirianni, Kelce took a different stance during a segment on ESPN.
Kelce made it clear that he does not believe Patullo should shoulder the blame for the defeat. “I know that everybody is out on Kevin Patullo,” he stated, according to Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated. “I happen to know the guy. I love Kevin Patullo. I know he”s a great coach. I know it wasn”t the best performance this year offensively. They had the No. 1 highest-paid offense in the league and were mediocre across the board. That”s unacceptable. They had their chances to win that game , and they — the players — didn”t make the plays.”
This season, Patullo has often faced criticism as the Eagles” offense struggled to produce consistent results. However, the coaching staff cannot be blamed for the mistakes made by wide receiver A.J. Brown, who dropped catchable passes during the game, nor for questionable decisions made by quarterback Jalen Hurts. Kelce emphasized that the players had opportunities to secure a victory against the 49ers.
“What Robert Saleh did, that defense, is commendable,” Kelce continued. “What they”ve done to get to here is absolutely a testament to that organization and how well they”re built, and they function across the board. Kyle Shanahan with the trickeration, finding a way to get things open, you tip your cap to them, but Philly had their opportunities.”
As the Eagles look ahead to the next season, changes may be imminent. Many expect Sirianni to part ways with Patullo soon, and insiders have hinted that the Eagles might explore trading Brown before the upcoming NFL Draft. Despite speculation surrounding the coaching staff, there is currently no indication that Sirianni is at risk of losing his job.
